Questionable Motives
by Danizaya1
Summary: Ikebukuro's a jumbled mess.The appearance of a new online gang, the Sirens, stirs mixed emotions among its residents. Nebula's advances toward Namie Yagiri's pharmacy and research takes turn for the worst. Even the informant is hit by karma. [Discontinued]
1. Prologue:  Sirens in the Distance

"Ah, Nakura-san! Are you there?"

That voice, dripping in animosity, a fake, all too familiar kindness.

"Nakura-san? You still alive? You still have enough oxygen, surely."

Silence followed, with a chuckle. "Now don't be so surprised! I have to _thank you, _actually~"

Finally, the other end spoke. _"Thank me?"_ Shaky. Unsteady.

Music to the young man's ears.

"Why yes! I owe you my gratitude. If not for you, I might still be the lethargic tyke I was just twelve years ago. I wouldn't have stirred such wonderful concoctions into this quaint city called Ikebukuro." A pause, followed with the click of the tongue. "That's a depressing thought, no?"

The man on the other end simply coughed, feeling the flames around him intensify. "You. this is revenge. You haven't let go." Ah, it was like a shower, with a flamethrower as your source.

A vicious laugh. "You must be talking about the incident with Shinra Kishitani, no?" Another laugh. _"Revenge? _You should know me better than that, Nakura-san."

Nakura merely strained his ear.

"Let me explain~" The other man began, "By the _world's _standards, you nearly killed my one and only best friend, while I was the one stuck with the blame."

Another pause, while this cheerful man listened to the crackling flames in the distance.

"But, by _my _standards: You nearly eliminated an inexplicably, yet simple, complex person from the game board. What's one person, or piece, lost, when this world is chock full of others waiting for their turn? Hmm?"

Nakura gave up trying to vocalize. Follow suit, a continuation of this brilliant man's nuance.

"If there's anything to bear a grudge against. I'd have to say that you owe quite a lot of lost time while I was in protective custody. It wasn't how I planned on ending my summer. Plus, you ruined my perfect record, which makes a certain hobby of mine somewhat difficult in certain areas."

It was too easy to imagine the swirling flames and falling debris. The man's smirk dropped as he didn't get an instant reply? Had he died? Unconscious? Far too soon for that!

"Izaya. what's your damned purpose?" The area became hazed.

A red and orange gradient.

"Purpose?" Izaya sounded as if he was speaking to a child, his trademark laugh on the verge of cracking his vocal cords. "Simply another one of my studies! Nothing more, I swear. Trust me."

Silence.

"It seems I'll have to stop here," a slight sigh. "I can hear sirens coming, so maybe - just maybe - you'll survive. If not, I'll simply live how I have, thanks to your temper tantrum that fateful summer. Good luck, Nakura-san~"

The line went dead.

The flames were more than alive.

Nakura? Hmm. Not sure at this point. The man could only hope.

Izaya could only laugh.

From the Information Broker's point of view, Nakura got quite the easy fate. Protective custody was a breeding ground for boredom.

To a "humanitarian" such as Izaya Orihara, boredom was the same as a slow death. More specifically, a poison.

A fire? The flames. Heat. Adrenaline. Panic. Ambulances in the distance. Quite exciting.

Not that Izaya wished to ever die in the first place.

_Oh no._

There were still plenty of a game pieces to _move_ around.

Plenty of games to conclude.

To end.

To begin.

To continue.

But mostly end.

Oh yes,

So much to do.

So little time.

Especially as a newcomer game into play.


	2. Chapter 1: A Fake Bliss

**Kanra: So have you guys heard the news?**

**Setton: What news?**

**Kanra: Apparently there's a new online gang!**

**Taro Tanaka: What?**

**Setton: Where'd you hear that?**

**Kanra: It's all over the internet!**

**Taro Tanaka: So.**

**Taro Tanaka: They're like the Dollars?**

**Kanra: I don't really know yet.**

**Kanra: They're pretty popular now.**

**Kanra: But isn't it SCARY~?**

**Setton: How?**

**Kanra: What if they waged war with the Dollars? O_O**

**Taro Tanaka: I don't think that's going to happen.**

**Kanra: Ha ha! You never know~**

_Raira Academy, after school_

"So~! What are you two lovebirds up to?" A golden eyed boy, hiding a yellow hued past.

"What? Masaomi, not this again." A blue eyed boy, more influential than others would like to believe.

"C'mon! Don't give me that. I bet you've been galloping away in the dead of night, meeting one another and-"

"That's not the case at all!"

Masaomi waved his hand in dismissal. "Yeah, yea. You know I was just kidding, right, Anri Dear?" A casual smile.

Did smiling even matter at this point? Pretending day in and day out. While facing his smile? What point did it have? Was _he_ right? What reason did Masa-

"Masaomi?" The chocolate eyed girl tilted her head. How little a person knew, how fine a shade her eyes became within an instant.

Oh well! There was plenty of time to wonder!

"Huh? Oh!" His smile widened, as he brandished a dramatic bow.

"My apologies, dear maiden," he stated, leaning on a single knee, hand outstretched for her's. "But it seems I've become the bird caged within your beauty. I lost the resolve to chirp my praise, feathers ruffled in awe!"

Another dramatic show, as the curtains raised for yet another play.

Anri blinked in confusion, her usual blank expression adorning her face. "Um." She muttered.

The ravenette beside the two sighed, shaking his head. "Give it a rest, Masaomi."

_Who asked you?_

"Plenty of fish in the sea, I suppose!" Masaomi laughed, jumping back up, "Who would've thought I'd be outdone by a dork like you, eh, Mikado?" Hands resting behind his head, his smile remained.

The "air conditioner" merely frowned helplessly. "What's with calling me that?" He whined.

A carefree laugh. "You know I'm kiddin'! Tough love y'know? Gotta keep you on your toes!"

This was the life. Laughing and joking around with your best friend, and a hot babe.

At least on the surface.

Depression aside, Masaomi had it all.

Anri bit her lower lip, "So what do you two plan to do, now?" She stammered.

"Uh." Mikado trailed off.

_What an idiot._

"Let's head over to Russia Sushi, it's always a great hangout for the three of us!"

A tentative nod. "Alright." She agreed.

Along the walk, it was quiet. Not even Masaomi, with all of Ikebukuro's vivacious females, was inclined.

Mikado couldn't tell why. Anri couldn't tell. Masaomi couldn't explain it.

Nor could they understand the blonde haired man, who walked past Mikado, followed by a brief wave and apology.

While the two boys stared in surprise at the bartender clad man who simply brushed them off, Masaomi looked on. Walking across the street, a trio. Two girls and one boy. Though he could not hear their conversation, Masaomi simply felt the excitement surrounding the three, holding their phones up for one another.

Soon enough, Masaomi returned to the front of the group. "Dude, Shizuo Heiwajima almost ran you over." He laughed.

"I wonder what that was about." Mikado commented, glancing behind him.

".shi! Eat Russian Sushi! It good!"

Music to this escapist's ears.

Masaomi waved over at Simon, "Yo! Simon!" He called out.

Soon, the cheerful day continued on. The teens smiling onwards.

Except for Masaomi. Who now noticed the ever smiling boy across the street. Behind were the two girls, speaking animatedly to each other, paying no mind as they walked away from the boy.

Smile adorned, the boy gave a short nod, walking in the opposite direction of the girls.

Eyes narrowed, Masaomi frowned, shaking his head.

Little did he know how much blame that young boy held. What he started. Who he knew. What he did. Who he led.

All in good time, though.


	3. Chapter 2:  Typical

"Yellowtail! Yellowtail!" A girl called cheerfully, eyes glimmering childishly.

Just another odd character. Within an odd group.

"Keep it down." This hat wearing man adverted his eyes to see a young blonde and his friends. A bitter sight, on some sort of level he couldn't pinpoint.

Kadota, keeping his usual role as the 'straight man', simply tolerated his own friend's refreshing quirks.

A tray was set down the table, "Yellowtail sushi, yes?" The black Russian had his usual smile. Unlike most people in this city, Kadota noted, it was, without a doubt, incredibly natural.

Erika Karisawa clapped her hands happily, "Great! Thanks Simon!" She cheered.

Beside her, Walker was toying with his chopsticks, biting the inside of his left cheek, a distant cloud floating over his eyes as a light frown marred his forehead... It was strange to see him gazing off into space like that, which pointed Kadota's attention to him.

"Not hungry?" Kadtoa asked, leaning back and raising his eyebrows. It was odd for more than one person to stay quiet within the duo.

Of course, the narrowed eyed boy merely shrugged, smiling as cheerfully as his female counterpart.

Beside Kadota was Saburu; the self appointed chauffeur of the motley quartet. "Don't talk about that crap when we're eating! How many times do I need to say that?"

Kadota sighed.

_Cool it man._

Erika and Walker continued their frantic cheering as Kadota easily tuned them out. This was another `typical' day. A loosely put term.

'Typical' didn't exist in Ikebukuro.

It _never _did.

Not in middle school. And _especially _not in high school.

"Dotachin?"

Time to re-immerse himself into the present.

"Don't call me that."

"Dotachin, have you heard of that new group?"

He merely crossed his arms as he listened intently.

"They're called the 'Sirens', I heard they're some gang like the 'Dollars'. Weird, huh?"

_In other words, a bunch of pricks screwing around for attention._

"Yeah, they've gotten super popular in the metro area of Tokyo, y'know?"

How envious one could be of the bliss children were supposed to hold dearly..

Kadota couldn't help, but feel a creeping uneasiness. Why make another gang like the Dollars? What point would it serve?

It would only create drama among the two ''online colour gangs".

_Drama._

A conflict between gangs.

Most likely a war.

It was right up his alley.

No doubt about it. The single man who formed "Dotachin" had caught a wind of this

And he'd go to serious lengths to spice things up. Get innocent people caught up in the trouble.

Like with Blue Squares and Yellow Scarves.

But..

Stay out of it, avoid trouble.

Unfortunately, staying out of things didn't fit Kadota's image on things. He couldn't simply ignore something so... Suspicious. Nor his own friends.

He listened to his friends as they rambled on; the feelings of a carefree life only a breath away.

He wondered how long it would take before chaos decided to strike

Those thoughts were split in half as he heard the infamous neighing. The jet black motorcycle zooming by. Another mystery.

'Sirens' and 'Dollars' simply added up the mysteries within Ikebukuro.

And one could not help but wonder.

Who are The 'Dollars' and their 'leader'?

_Izaya Orihara?_

Or some random person looking for kicks themselves?

Once his thoughts were shattered and left for another time as the bell rung. The same teenaged trio laughed and joked as they left.

Whoever the Dollars or the Sirens were led by, that person had leadership and charisma.

This narrowed the list only slightly.

One of his two guesses, however, Kadota stubbornly refused to acknowledge.


	4. Chapter 3: Tick

Oh, he was pissed. Extremely pissed.

Subconsciously too, to make things worse.

He was more uneasy than pissed, really. But still. he was pissed.

_In an alley, near Russian Sushi._

There he was, taking, but a simple stroll after some debt collection with Tom.

Little did he know of a certain die-hard fanatics duo.

"Hey! Hey!"

"Here.(we found you)."

Two identical voices and fraternal tones. Really now, their personalities were a bit too obvious

"Mairu. Kururi."

The twins nodded. As usual, they were standing side by side. Inseparable.

"Say, could ya tell us where Kasuka is? We'll trade in Iza-ni!" Mairu gave a deceptively innocent smile.

_Well hell, it must be hereditary._

Shizuo slumped his shoulders, giving a loud sigh, "You do realise that's your brother you're selling out? It's practically hiring a hit man." Not that I'd complain, really. I'd give that hit man every dime I have.

Kururi's void expression remained. "Disposable. (we don't mind)."

Apparently, twisted minds were also a part of the package.

Initially, Shizuo had two choices. Save his brother the harassment. Or happily watch that flea get what's coming to him.

"Sorry, dunno where he is now."

_Freaking conscience._

Mairu's smile dropped, her red-rimmed glasses sliding down the arch of her nose.

"My, how unlucky for you two~"

_Oh dear god._

"It seems you two did this all in vain! We should go, now."

_That tone of voice._

Mairu pouted, "No way! There's still plenty to do even though Kasuka isn't here!"

"Agreed.(that's the spirit)."

A small sigh, "You optimistic types are quite stubborn. No to mention loud. You never even gave me a chance to introduce myself."

Shizuo focused on the alley even more. Searching for the source of that damned voice. There stood not even five feet away; an icy eyed boy with a smirk plastered on his face. He wore a blue jay coloured jacket with his hands in his pockets.

Shizuo knew that smirk all too well. Along with that tone in his voice. Not to mention that undeniable, sickening feeling he got in the pit of his stomach.

"Just who the he-"

"Aoba Kuronuma."

_Tch, impatient brat. _"And just what do you want?"

A light chuckle: "Nothing. These two simply dragged me along the way to join them. Nothing more, nothing less~"

_Shut up._

""See, it's dangerous to get in between an Orihara and their ways of amusement." Aoba continued on.

_Shut up._

"Plus there's the fact that no right minded first year male is going to turn down and invitation from twin sisters." He raised his hands in mock defeat.

_Shut. Up._

"You understand, don't you? How impossible it is to defeat an Orihara?"

_Shut the hell up!_

"Especially in your case, Shizuo Heiwajima. We can only hope you're not framed once again. It'd be quite th-"

"Listen you." He cut the boy off by yanking him in the arm.

"Oh?" He merely raised an eyebrow. His smile was still present. "What do you plan to do? It's not like you can assault a mere child~"

"Just who do you think you are? Do I look worried about that?"

"No. Go on ahead. By all means. I'm not the one that'll be convicted. Izaya would love to hear about this. He'd never let you live it down." He gave a laugh.

It was like a midget-sized Izaya.

Shizuo narrowed his eyes, dropping the kid reluctantly. With a thud, Aoba lost balance. He simply stood up, dusting off his jacket. Mairu and Kururi were already well ahead of him.

"Shizuo."

The fake blonde glared at him.

"It was a pleasure meeting you." With that, he left, catching up with the twins.

Gritting his teeth, Shizuo slammed his fist in the wall, leaving a considerable indention. God knows how the people within it reacted. But Shizuo didn't care about that.

He had to deal with _two _headaches now.

Aoba Kuronuma, and Izaya Orihara.

Obviously, `flea' was already taken by the latter. Therefore, `tick' would have to do for Aoba.

Either or, a blood-sucking insect. They could take from weeks to months to rid of.

Depressing. Annoying. Most of all.

_Dangerous_.


	5. Chapter 4: Fortunate

"So what'd ya two talk about?" Mairu tilted her head, twirling around and about in her uniform.

"Dusty (you seemed rough up.)" Added Kururi in her usual gym get-up.

The two raven haired girls flanked to each side of Aoba.

_I'm either extremely fortunate, or a complete fool._

Kururi tilted her head. "Silent. (are you alright?)"

_Let's go with being a complete fool, for now. _His smirk remained, its usual glow prominent. "Why yes," ,he said on a honey sweet tone, "I'm quite fine. That Shizuo is certainly an interesting person."

By `interesting', he meant a total fool. The man wasn't even able to handle a few simple words from a child.

Mairu nodded, her braids bobbing around and about. "Yeah, but his brother is better. By a long shot."

Aoba tilted his head, raising an eyebrow, "You mean the actor?"

Kururi nodded slightly, "Yes. (that is correct)."

Aoba gave a bitter laugh, throwing his head back as he looked at the sky. As if it actually mattered. Kasuka Heiwajima, with his perfect job, and an elder brother he could depend on. Kasuka wouldn't be able to handle Izumi. Kasuka's life was all too perfect, really.

On a different topic, Shizuo Heiwajima. He could prove to be beneficial.

Aoba was able to set up his brother and framed him for a fire. He was the leader of Blue Squares. He had been able to manipulate Izumi for quite a long time. Anri Sonohara also proved to be of use.

But - he looked at his right hand, the scar still there - Mikado Ryugamine was a different story altogether. He wasn't as innocent as his friends would like to believe. The leader of `Dollars', however, was but a secondary threat.

If there was anyone in Aoba's way, it was that informant. Same goals, same targets, but superior skills compared to the teenager.

It was a fact Shizuo and Izaya hated each other. Therefore, Shizuo would be essentially useful in keeping that man out of his way.

"Hey! Are you even listening?" Mairu's demanding voice made Aoba snap back to reality. In his face was Mairu's phone. "Just what are you thinking about, Aoba-kun?"

_Oh, nothing but your brother's demise, really._

"Anyways, Aoba-kun, have you seen this yet?"

The screen on her phone was mostly black, aside from a bull's-eye style symbol, with a white plus sign. The letters spelled out `SIRENS'.

"What exactly is it?"

Shoulders slumping, Mairu placed a hand on her hip. "I thought you were smart." She sighed, "Basically something like `Dollars', it's really popular at school. Haven't you noticed?"

_Considering I have you two talking my ear all the time? No._

Smiling, Aoba surfed through the internet on his phone, typing multiple times, as he searched and searched through his phone.

Kururi leaned in, taking control of his phone.

He forced the faint blush down and cleared his throat. Actually, at this proximity, I'm quite the fortunate one.

Soon, the website popped up, with a bar for a password.

_A copycat of `Dollars', it seems._

"So what's the password?"

Kururi shook her head, "Unknown (we haven't found out)."

"They want your e-mail for it. Iza-nii told us not to bother with it." Mairu explained, giving a little skip.

_I find it sad that even these two have a better brother than I. Even if it is by a millimetre. _Aoba had serious doubts that even the info broker would go so far as to actually abuse his siblings. Ignore them and insult them? More likely, but it was - to a degree - doubtful he'd go as far as Izumi had.

Studying the screen, Aoba spotted something out of the corner of his eye, across the street. A trio, most likely of upperclassmen. Ah, he most definitely saw Mikado. And there was Sonohara - senpai as well! Along with - of course - that golden-eyed boy. Masaomi Kida.

Ice and fire caught one another's glances. With his trademark smile, Aoba gave a small bow. _Hope your girl is coping well._

Turning to Kururi and Mairu, he gave a wave. "I'm off," ,he announced. The twins didn't seem to mind. They were now occupied with one and another as they talked about god knows what. Turning away, Aoba's smile deviated to nothing but a dark laugh, throwing his head in the air once more.

This was too perfect. A new piece was appearing, and the chessboard, with multiple opponents, was forming quite nicely.

_Checkmate is mine._


	6. Chapter 5: Tá me Ansea

_"You may not be human, but you like to pretend you are. Quite frankly, you're more tolerable than the other monsters roaming about in the city. Such as the beast, or demon wielder."_

There are too many questions in this world. It's an obvious fact. Celty Sturluson knew this all too well.

She is a Dullahan. A headless fairy from Ireland folklore. Carrying a severed head in her arms. And yet, there was no evident sense of brutality. It was merely a part of her.

However, her head was the missing piece. That vital piece of her identity was somewhere else.. That vital piece of her identity was somewhere elsewhere.

She wasn't human. That's an established fact. She was a Dullahan. Without her trademark, however, she was classified as nothing more than a monster. An abomination. She was told before that there were truths in those words.

Why am I worrying about this now? I'm supposed to be on the job.

"Well, Dullahan?"

Celty dully raised her head, [Fine. What's the job this time?]

"I'd like you to give this to our little genius. "

A folded slip of paper.

[What's this for?]

This `forever twenty-one' man stood from his place atop the roof, balancing along its edge, simply sighed. "Does that matter on your part? As a courier, you simply deliver what I order. Nothing more, nothing less~"

_This man... _[You recover from being stabbed quickly.]

Izaya merely shrugged, "Yes, well, it wasn't the best day of my life. Imagine that, being stabbed in the back on my birthday! That's quite the tragedy, no?"

Celty already felt frustrated. This man took nothing seriously. [You deserved it. It's simply karma catching up on you.]

Raising an eyebrow, the man continued on. "Karma? After this long? A little overdue, if you ask me."

Celty shuddered. [It doesn't matter how long it's been! You're a monster yourself. While here you are rambling on about being stabbed and tortured, your best friend is in the hospital because of you. How ]

"_Who's_ the monster?" Izaya cut in. His smile remained, but the hint of disgust was evident. "Now, I understand that you, without a head, may be missing a few things, but I must point out we have had this conversation before. I told you," he balanced along the edge, hands outstretched carelessly, "I didn't appreciate how rudely Shinra treated me when I was simply bleeding to death. I merely returning the favour. The incident with Heaven's Slave has nothing to do with this~. "

With the wind blowing, Celty happily blocked out those cold words. [How long do you continue to hide behind that smile?]

"Anyways, shouldn't you stop stalling and get to the job? I don't remember you being so nosy. Or curious, considering you happen to lack such a feature."

Celty rested her hands on her hips and took in his words begrudgingly. Shinra was in the hospital thanks to him. The same underground doctor risked his life for Izaya back in middle school. And here was that same informant, smiling as if that didn't matter.

"Now, I'm letting you go for tonight. You know what to do." With that, he strutted his way over to a pole and slid down it like a child. He hummed all the way as he left the building.

Celty was left alone with her own thoughts as she opened the note.

"Bankrupt."

_What was this? Some sort of joke? _

The only other information was an address and a name. Celty wasn't familiar with it. It was somewhere in Tokyo. The addressee was someone named "Nagata Imai, Sirens".

_`Sirens'._

It sounded familiar, but Celty couldn't pinpoint it.

Either way it was still her new assignment, and, because of that, she went on her way after boarding her horse.


	7. Chapter 6:  A Fact of Life

_[The world isn't as bad as it seems.]_

_"Lying is only human."_

Those words would repeat over and over in the girl's head like a broken record.

_How stupid of me._

She told herself numerous times: "Live life better." However, mental encouragement could only be so effective.

With a drooping head and a vacant smile, she followed the large crowd of girls down the street. One of the older girls, Yui Horika, with a bob of black hair, fell back, matching Rio's pace.

"So have you heard?" She tilted her head, nudging Rio.

Rio looked up slowly, blinking in curiosity, not giving a single word.

"About the `Sirens'," Yui explained, reading the puzzlement on Rio`s face. "It's a new online gang. Kinda like the `Dollars'. No rules or anything."

_That's sort of unoriginal._

Another girl, shorter and younger, Chisane Kuragi, overheard Yui, joining in, her hair whipping around. "I heard of that!" She nodded in self agreement, "I went to the website, but I didn't know the stupid password." She placed her hands on her hips, pouting.

Rio involuntarily listened to their gossiping, lowering her head.

Yui shrugged, pulling her cell phone out, "You're supposed to give your e-mail to the leader, you know. Then they send the password to you. See?"

The screen was set up simply. A black background, and white forums full of random conversations. A box in the upper right corner said: **No. Count: 351**

"I just so happen to be a Siren myself, thank you." Yui held a hand to her heart, looking proud of herself.

Chisane only laughed, shaking her head, and flipping her hair up until hitting Rio in the face, making her flinch. Hey!

"Too bad you can't sing like one. It looks like a boring site anyways." She commented.

_It doesn't look that bad, actually, _Rio thought, looking away.

Yui's shoulders slumped, disheartened, "Hey. The group's really cool, actually. Especially this one chat room, hosted by someone..."

The words seemed to suddenly trail off. Along with Rio's thoughts. She didn't care for the gossip any longer. Or the two black haired girls. She couldn't think of their names for some reason.

What Rio cared for at the moment was what had occurred last week.

_Kamichika Residence, Sunday_

What they had said and accused made no difference. The only thing Rio understood was the irrefutable fact that her mothers was at her wit's end.

At dinner, she and her father spoke casually, the weather was, how work was, how their moods were, and all those classic clichés.

Rio asked one question, and all of that seemed to fall apart at the seams.

Dishes clanked as her mother slammed her fists on to the table, standing up abruptly. Joined in by her father, who simply stood in front of his chair, blank-faced.

"I'm tired of this! Of waiting, and waiting, and waiting for you to come clean and admit it to my face!" Her mother snapped, sounding nothing less of a snarling dog.

"Admit what? You saw the pictures!" Her father protested.

_Stop it._

"Rio! _Rio _did that! Not you! You were not involved with that!"

As soon as her name came up in the argument, Rio's world had reached the end point of collapse. Her world stopped.

True as it was. That Rio did indeed leave the evidence lying around here and there for her mother to see. She felt bad, at the time, for her mother. And her father's unfaithfulness. She felt sorry for both situations. But instead of helping, it seemed to backfire. Her mother kept a smiling face, and her father acted like nothing was happening.

Dejected, Rio kept to herself and a cell phone. Speaking to a `Nakura' fellow who simply suggested suicide.

What happened from there was something Rio decided not to acknowledge for the time being. It wasn't until the Black Rider showed up, saved her, and shown her a specific text that she decided to improve her outlook on things.

Ignorance was a short lived bliss, however. Stress eventually started to set in. Rio couldn't help but wonder why in the world her parents ignored things as they did.

But judging the current explosion during dinner, she could stop wondering.

Their screams seemed muffled, muted, and even. She couldn't hear what they said. Nor did she hear her mother's pounding against the table break the silence. She could only see the anger and frustration between the mother and father. She knew they were mad.

And that's all she cared to know.

_East Ikebukuro, McDonald's parking lot_

".Green is so nice! Right, Rio?"

Finally remembering what she was supposed to be doing, Rio glanced up at Yui with a simple smile, tilting her head and giving an unnatural laugh. "What about green?"

Yui only shrugged, hearing her phone buzz.

"Rie said she can't make it." She said, shoulders slumping.

"What? Why not? We were all meeting Chikage today!" Chisane whined, giving a pout.

_Rie isn't usually the first to ditch, though. I wonder what's up. _She gave a worried look, her facial features brightened, however, at being able to chat normally. "Well, she was starting to act a bit odd. Maybe something's wrong at home or something? Grades? She skips a lot."

"No way, Rie is too used to that crap by now." Chisane refuted.

Yui continued on, reading over the message once more, "Says she's busy with something."

"Like what?" Chisane tilted her head, a hand on her hip.

"I dunno. I guess a date?"

Rio bit her lower lip, staring at the ground.

Aruki, a girl who only gave her first name, with dyed blonde hair and a long trench coat, turned, hands in her coat pockets, and a blank expression on her face. "Rie? There's no truth in that. Girl's always been so anti-social with every male besides Chikage."

Once more, any protests or further gossiping left Rio's attention, as she stopped walking and pulled out her cell. She was able to find `Sirens' fairly quickly. She enjoyed `Dollars' a bit, so why not this copy-cat?

Once on the site, which had only its logo, a password bar, and a box in the left hand corner, she read: __

**No. Count: 352**


	8. Chapter 7:  Business Meeting

_CHAPTER SEVEN: _

_**[Private Mode] Taro Tanaka:**_

_**Masaomi, you there? **_

_**[Private Mode] Taro Tanaka**_

_**I need to talk to you.**_

_**[Private Mode] Taro Tanaka**_

…

_**- Taro Tanaka has logged out - **_

_**- Bakyura has logged in -**_

_**[Private Mode] Bakyura**_

_**Looks like I missed you.**_

_**[Private Mode] Bakyura**_

_**Catch you later.**_

_**- Bakyura has logged out -**_

_**- Kanra has logged in -**_

_**Kanra: By a mere second…**_

_**[Private Mode] Kanra:**_

_**Drop Yadogiri for now, I have something else in mind at the moment.**_

_**- 100% Pure Water has logged in -**_

_**100% Pure Water: Greetings.**_

_**Kanra: Ah! Fancy seeing you here, you're usually never on~.**_

_**100% Pure Water: Sorry about that, I was busy with some things at school and such.**_

_**Kanra: I see~ Cram school, I'm guessing? **_

_**Kanra: Anyways, I don't suppose you've heard of the 'Sirens' have you? It sounds pretty cool~.**_

_**100% Pure Water: Actually, I have. A couple of classmates told me about it yesterday.**_

_**[Private Mode] 100% Pure Water:**_

_**Enough of the pleasantries. What are you up to?**_

_**[Private Mode] Kanra:**_

_**Nothing.**_

_**[Private Mode] 100% Pure Water:**_

_**And this 'Sirens'? Mairu and Kururi already explained it to me.**_

_**[Private Mode] Kanra:**_

_**I'd prefer if you would choose a different sort of company for your everyday life.**_

_**[Private Mode] Kanra:**_

_**Anyways, I'm not up to anything. Even I am still in the process of researching the group. Information brokers don't automatically know things. I'm afraid that even I am only human.**_

_**[Private Mode] 100% Pure Water:**_

_**Primarily one that I hate more than others.**_

_**[Private Mode] Kanra:**_

_**Ha ha~! You flatter me.**_

_**[Private Mode] Kanra:**_

_**But there's no reason to worry, at the moment. I'm not up to anything right now.**_

_**- 100% Pure Water has logged out -**_

_**[Private Mode] Kanra:**_

_**Have a nice day~ :D**_

_**- Kanra has logged out -**_

_Narita Airport to Ikebukuro, 22:15_

"So! This is Ikebukuro, is it?"

Amongst the dark eyes and hair in Ikebukuro, two men stood out. Bright eyes and fair complexions.

The tall one (at about six feet) wore a neat, nicely tailored suit, a pair of sunglasses, holding a black suitcase. He wasn't very young. Most likely in his mid-forties. He had neatly trimmed brown hair, and dark olive eyes hidden under his sunglasses.

His younger counterpart was around seventeen. He wore a pair of dark, denim jeans, and a casual t-shirt, hands in his pockets, and an excited smile on his face. Messy red hair protruded through a baseball cap, and blue eyes looked around the airport in fascination.

The two talked amongst each other, paying no mind to the locals. While locals had passed by with curious faces at the odd language they spoke. The two were obviously foreigners.

The blonde man kept a harsh grip on his suitcase, apparently anxious about something, while his apparent son had no care in the world. However, the red-head glanced down, reading the inscription 'Nebula' on the suitcase's latch.

"So when do I enroll in…uh…" He trailed off, watching a couple of girls pass by.

His father nudged the boy's shoulders, pushing him to move out of the way. "Raira Academy. You're enrolling tomorrow." He explained, adjusting his sunglasses.

The boy nodded, walking aimlessly ahead of him, "Sounds good." He said, smiling.

_Shinjuku, 22:30_

"You seem rather offset."

Namie Yagiri narrowed her eyes as her 'employer' made this comment. _Already, I see. He just can't let a person get some peace._

"Having to meet him already must b-"

"It's none of your business, Izaya." She spat, sitting up from her seat, "You have no right to ridicule my own situation."

The informant shrugged, the click-clacking of game pieces filling his silence as he moved pieces on the game board here and there.

Namie watched in vexation, crossing her arms. _Just how the heck does he understand that? _"You'd be wise to stay out of my company's way from here on out." She warned, raising her voice harshly.

Smile in place, Izaya vaguely nodded. "Yes, yes. I give you my word," the sarcastic remark contrasted with his expression, mixing amusement and a tiresome tone into his words. He continued to move around pieces, contemplating what went where, yet still enjoying himself.

"Just what are y-"

"Adding and moving some pieces on the game board, really." Izaya cut in, twirling a knight around. "If you're lucky, you can continue in the game yourself." He stated, placing the knight on the side of the board.

A look of disgust came upon Namie's face, her teeth clenching. "I'd rather die than play along with your twisted games." She said. _Or watch it backfire on you._

Izaya raised an eyebrow, still smiling. It was a certain sort of smile he usually gave off, though Namie couldn't pinpoint its topic. "You're so cold," Izaya laughed, "No wonder your precious brother has no interest in you."

Namie's widened in a short stab of shock, slamming her hand down on the board, watching pieces of three kinds of games scatter to the floor. "Don't you _ever _spew such nonsense like that! You've no right to speak of Seiji!" Her bit of shock twisted in contempt, glaring at the info broker.

Giving a disheartened sigh, letting his smile leave his face, Izaya shook his head, looking at the ground and fallen game pieces on the ground. "Now look at that," he sighed, "Please try not to take your fantasies out on my game, please." His smile returned, eyes narrowing, "You'd be amazed at how long it can take to get pawns in just the right places at just the right time, Ms. Yagiri."

_That's a shock, coming from you. _Namie simply glared on, not impressed with Isaiah's talk.

Izaya automatically took this as his signal to continue on. "Speaking of which," speaking of what? "You're supposed to meet with an Alexander Truman, correct?" Izaya clasped his hands together, giving a glance to outside in the bustling streets, "A powerful man from the company Nebula. To discuss certain departments of interest in the Yagiri Pharmaceuticals building."

Raising an eyebrow, Namie straightened up from the board, staring at it in annoyance. _What's he up to?_

The informant nodded, agreeing with the silence. He opened his phone, apparently texting someone beyond the fields of Namie's interest.

He gave a few laughs, leaning towards the disorganized game board, shortly cut off by the shutting of a door. He turned in curiosity, seeing that Namie was no longer present.

Glancing over at a shelf, he picked up another piece, absently throwing it up in the air as he kept on staring. "Maybe you'll get some answers, yourself."


	9. Chapter 8:  'R' vs 'L'

**Kanra: Those 'Sirens' seem to be really causing some trouble~.**

**Setton: You seem interested in them.**

**Kanra: How can I not be?**

**Setton: I am just saying that there is nothing too outstanding.**

**[Private Mode] Kanra:**

**You're lying~**

**[Private Mode] Kanra:**

**So how did the job go, Courier?**

**[Private Mode] Setton:**

**Fine.**

**[Private Mode] Kanra:**

**And~? How was the receiver of my wonderful proposal?**

**[Private Mode] Setton:**

**Quiet. He didn't really say anything. All you put on the letter in the first place was a single word, anyways.**

**[Private Mode] Kanra:**

**You know how the colours yellow and blue make green?**

**[Private Mode] Setton:**

**What does that have to do with anything?**

**[Private Mode] Kanra:**

**Nothing as of yet. But it's the same with Dollars and Sirens.**

**[Private Mode] Kanra:**

**Dollars is red-hot as of now, the sun in the lives of many pedestrians. Sirens, on the other hand, are calmer compared to the Dollars' popularity, a little sip of water. Mix them together, and who knows? Maybe it'd be more natural than you think, a mountain of power~***

**[Private Mode] Setton:**

**Excuse me?**

**[Private Mode] Kanra:**

**Think of it this way, yellow and blue make green, a 'natural' colour. Likewise, wouldn't the union of Dollars and Sirens be natural?**

**[Private Mode] Setton:**

**Whatever… You never make sense…**

_Raira Academy, post lunch break_

It was in that last few minutes of school when it was unexpectedly interrupted. The day was winding down, students allowed their thoughts to drift from the subject at hand, subconsciously paying no mind to the teacher's usual lectures and wrap ups of the day's events.

So when a phone call interrupted both the students and the teacher's remarks, it was only natural for the room to become curious as to what awaited on the other line.

Of course, however, the teacher seemed considerably guarded about whatever topic he discussed.

"I see." He nodded, sighing slightly towards the end, "Very well then. Tell him to wait outside as for now."

Mikado Ryugamine had been one of the few able to overhear this small bit of speech, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. _Him?_

With a click, the phone hung up. The teacher straightened himself up, clearing his throat loudly, with the intention of catching his students' attention over anything else.

"It seems that you're all left with one final surprise before the day ends," he began, "That being, a new addition, in replacement to Misaki Urekegawa, who you all know has moved away to Shibuya."

The explanation sparked excited murmurings between classmates already.

"Is he a foreigner?"

"Maybe the son of a gang leader!"

Mikado had no idea of how these rumours had already started to spread. He was the one of three classmates that remained silent.

The second being Anri Sonohara, who looked on ahead with a seemingly blank expression on her face, neither extremely nor flagrantly interested in the news.

And the final, Seiji Yagiri, kept a bored façade, only to be pestered and nudged by his 'girlfriend', Mika Harima, who whispered excitedly into his ear.

"Ryugamine, please introduce our newest addition to the class."

Turning from his own minor thoughts, Mikado now had a new question in mind. _How did I miss _him, _of all people? _

The new sight was a boy with hair that could stop traffic. Bright, choppy, but obviously neatly combed red hair that went just past his chin by a mere centimetre. His eyes seemed to add effect, blue as the sky and bright as his hair.

"Ryugamine?"

Eyes wide with surprise, Mikado abruptly stood from his seat, walking tentatively to the front, beside the new student, who casually handed him the clipboard without a word, only a smile and a chuckle.

"Er… right," Mikado, sighed, spotting the name added in blue pen, with odd spelling indeed. Stumped, Mikado raising an eyebrow as he looked more closely.

"Kraus Truman…?" He said, voice cracking slightly.

Pretty weird, but I guess I'm one to talk.

Behind Mikado was a snicker, and turning around, he saw the red-haired boy leaning against the backboard, an eyebrow raised.

"It's _Klaus_. With an L."

He grabbed a piece of chalk, beginning to write his name. First in Hiragana, then Katakana, and then finally, Arabic, from what Mikado could tell, at least.

"That's… quite impressive, Mr. Truman."

Mikado stared in embarrassment, taking note of the numerous pairs of eyes on him and the new student. He gulped, reluctantly turning around, only to face Anri's very faint, yet sympathetic look.

Looking at the name once more, he sighed. "Right, so, it's… Klaus Truman?" He hesitated, feel ing unnatural towards Klaus' name and pronunciation. _I'll get used to it, hopefully._

Nodding, Klaus gave a shrug, "Bingo, rep. I ain't 'Kraus', but outta respect fer' the culture, I can make an exception." _"Respect fer' the culture?" Is that what he said? _Klaus turned around, grabbing the piece of chalk once more. "Let's make it a pet name or somethin', kay?" Writing the apparent nickname down, he made a sharp, short line under it, - what Mikado assumed - making a point.

The redhead was already catching plenty of attention.

"Look at his hair!"

"He sounds really weird. He's got a weird accent."

"Where's he from?"

And so on and so forth.

_Guess I don't have to worry about _my_ name anymore._

Mikado gave a sigh, glancing over at Klaus. _Or Kraus? _He honestly didn't expect himself to keep up. The redhead gave a small bow of the head, smile in place. "Should I say some things fer' the class?" He asked, tilting his head.

Mikado blinked, pointing to himself, Klaus gave a nod. "Oh! Uh, sure, go ahead."

Throwing his hands up behind him, smiling widely, Klaus gave a sigh, ready to start. "Right then," he paused, "So here I am, a city boy from the Big Apple - New York - movin' to Ikebukuro fer' the rest of my high school days. If ya guys have a nickname fer' the city yourself, I'll be happy to hear."

In the midst of his speech, Mikado found it as an opportunity to sit down, not noticed by any of his classmates, all of whom were gluing their attention onto Klaus.

"…n' that's why we transferred in the first place. Cuz' of that, I only got no more than like… five hours of sleep."

Mikado was still struggling with the boy's accent. Were all people from the… Big Apple or whatever like this? His Japanese was also choppy, cut harshly or faster paced than it should have been.

_Wait a second; I can't be worried about this!_

Sighing, the class representative rubbed his forehead. _I wonder what will happen now…. I don't think I can manage at this rate. Maybe if I change the privacy settings or something? Some members on the site are getting really out of hand…_

_Ryugamine Residence, Sunday, 11:42_

Whenever Mikado went on to the Dollars website, he started to notice a trend. Most of the members had one thing on their mind. The Sirens. The new group seemed to be infesting forums with theories and obscenities, and with no apparent reason. Mikado couldn't control the members' actions, which made them all the more unpredictable.

Dollars had no purpose. It was just there. From what Mikado was told, so where the Sirens. However, the new group was agitating the Dollars members, as if the internet was their territory. A simple cliché, now virtualized for no reason…

_Raira Academy, fifteen minutes remaining_

To the left of Mikado was a loud thud, and as he turned, he was able to see a stack of textbooks on the desk, and in the chair, Klaus.

"Looks like we're neighbours." Klaus stated, starting to doodle in a notebook, "Y'know what happens in the mean streets of the Big Apple?" It was an unexpected question, and yet he said it so clearly and casually, tilting his head with a blank expression.

_Do I really want to know?_

Klaus mimicked the gesture of a Venus flytrap with his hands, a mischievous smile adorning his face now, "They get eaten." He clapped his hands loudly, "Pow! Just like that, takin' two to the chest."

_What's up with this guy? Oh God, is he for real?_

Klaus leaned back in the chair, hands behind his head, "Just kiddin'~!"

_Oh, thank God… _Mikado sighed in relief, rubbing his forehead.

"Although…" Klaus' voice became silent, more guarded, "Back in the 1930s or something, there was a mass murder on a train… Something-foot or whatever. Guess a kid was killed too. The murderer was nicknamed the 'Rail Tracer'."

The relief in Mikado's smile vanished, now leaving a look of disbelief.

"Yup, lotta crazy stuff happens there. New Yorkers are a tough breed." Klaus nodded to himself, letting the chair fall back into place.

"Uh, so…." Mikado scratched his face, failing to change the topic.

Klaus on the other hand seemed all too eager to continue. "I tell ya man. The 30s were a crazy place. Cr. A. Zy." He sighed dramatically, giving himself a tap on the forehead, "Toining point bein' some guy imprisoned in Alcatraz, back in San Fran."

_Toining point?_

"Uh.. Sorry, I can't really understand what you're saying…" Mikado sighed, shoulders slumping. "It's just that… your accent…"

Klaus only shrugged, blowing a strand of hair from his eyes, "Yeah, that's a New Yorker fer' ya." He happily admitted it, but it was obvious that he wouldn't be making a compromise.

Mikado's expression fell, and with silence filling in his reply, he glanced at the clock…

_At the same time, Shinjuku_

**'My Camera! Morning Star' on King Television**

"Furthermore, an investigation still in session regarding the suspected arson of a building near West Ikebukuro…"

A gruesome bit of news that Izaya Orihara was already quite familiar with, obviously. It would have been perfectly natural for the informant to overlook such news.

However, given the circumstances, as he saw a man with marks under his eyes, surely, where moles used to be, Izaya happily played the fool, resting on the couch with an intrigued smile on his face.

"…prime suspect is a man whose identity as of now has not been verified, he was found in the building during its burning, and survived with only second degree burns."

_Oh?_

Izaya shifted his head lazily towards the game board. _So you're still in the game? Impressive._

"…along with the man, there was also a lighter that was only just recently recovered outside the building's window. Police are currently in the process of identifying who was in possession of it at the time of the arson."

As soon as the news faded away into useless commercials, Izaya's phone rang. Sighing, he checked the I.D. D.

_Ha, look at me, taking such a precaution._

Izaya already knew who would call, after the mention of the lighter on the news. However, given previous incidents, he fancied the idea of knowing for sure who was calling him.

"Hello~?"

"Just what do you think you're doing?" Spat a rough voice, the sound of one who smoked all too often.

"…"

"Leaving my lighter! What'er you thinking? You want to be caught? I'll bash your head in to the wall before that happens!"

The rough and angry voice belonged to that of Izumi Ran, the elder brother of Aoba Kuronuma. With his lewd mannerisms and vulgar speech, the man held no secrets, or showed false emotions. It was raw hatred.

Luckily, Izaya was an amazingly tolerant man. "Now, now," he replied calmly, waving his hand, "There's no way I'd get caught."

Izumi gave a momentary silence, before finally settling upon a brief response. "Excuse me?"

Izaya picked a familiar sight. A nylon bag with burn marks across the edges. A very twisted, yet treasured, reminder of one of his favourite observations. He crinkled it, his voice ringing above it, "I never really touched it myself, to be honest. You know when it went missing?"

Izumi gave a grunt of response.

"That's because I had Haruna retrieve it for me."

"So you're telling' me-"

"Bingo!" Izaya cut in, smiling excitedly, "Only you, Haruna, and Nakura have touched it. After I had finished the 'meeting' with Nakura, I let Nakura 'borrow' it."

"How'd the-"

"Tut, tut, tut,." Izaya sighed, waving his finger around, "It's rude to interrupt. Nakura lit a cigar - Camel I believe - and after finishing it…" He paused, laughing a bit. "I simply suggested that he throw it out the window, the cigar's heat wasn't too intense. He did just that."

Izumi scoffed, "A cigar can't cause that big of a fire."

_Funny _you_ say that. Considering your own little brother set fire to your room. And guess what object got blamed for it?_

"I did have a bit to do with that. I was able to get some of the flammable oil back at the old bar, Amphisbaena. You can guess the next few events yourself after my departure."

Satisfied with his explanation, Izaya hung up.

As his attention was brought back to the news, he noticed the many pictures of the aftermath.

He suddenly realised a little detail he left out when talking to Izumi.

The building wasn't exactly abandoned. In fact, quite the contrary.

It was a piece of territory…

Izaya hopped from his spot on the couch, giving a little 'skip' to his desk, opening the Dollars website, ready to post an anonymous forum.

**[Anyone hear? The Blue Squares hideout was burnt down!]**

Izaya suddenly broke into a fit of laughter, leaning back in the chair.

"So now what? Aoba? Nakura? Izumi?" He called out, tilting his head. "What will you all do? Something typical? Or how about something I can _really_ sink my teeth into? That'll totally exceed my expectations? The only one I can think of is Yadogiri, he's the top on that list." He raised an eyebrow, "How bout you, Izumi? Have the honour of adding yourself to the list! Right beside…" He glanced over at the board game, "Your dear little brother." His voice sobered, laughs stabilising, a cynical feeling finding its way to his smile.

"And Nakura," he added, "At this point you certainly do despise me, don't you?" Izaya sneered briefly, yet his smirk reappeared. "What a shame."

"Finally, Aoba. You're pretty bright, so I'll leave the predictions to you."

He sighed contently, "Good luck, everyone~!"

West Gate Park, 18:00

Everything seemed to move in slow motion. The cars. The people. The birds.

Everything.

And as Anri Sonohara, now on her own, was unable to distinguish one thing from the other.

Therefore, she did not notice the feminine figure that awaited her in an alley as she staggered home, as simple images in front of her doubled, or blurred away. She could not take notice of the footsteps behind her. Nor did the newcomer's words register.

"Long time no see, Anri Sonohara~."

*'Kanra' is explaining how when yellow (a warm colour), and blue (a cool colour), mix, you get green (which is represented as a colour of nature).

Likewise, Dollars are 'the sun' (the yellow colour), while Sirens is much more chill, regarding their popularity (the blue colour). If the two online gangs were to unite, then the after-events could be more balanced than if the two gangs worked alone, 'a mountain of power' (the green colour).


	10. Chapter 9:  Scarlet Mistake

CHAPTER NINE: SCARLET MISTAKE

_West Gate Park, 18:00_

As soon as Anri was able to register this dark voice, her own footsteps came to a halt.

Turning, she saw a painfully familiar sight.

A girl wearing a pink dress, with bandages across her throat, and long, dark brown hair trailing down her waist stood in front of Anri. She stood rigidly, as if expecting Anri to make move. In her hands, a large, blood red scythe.

"H-Haruna… Niekawa?"

I had been a good few months since their last encounter.

In front of Anri was a blood red scythe, tilted upright.

"Where is he?" Haruna demanded.

Blinking, Anri shook her head, not taking her eyes off Haruna's scarlet glare. "I don't know."

"Tell me! Where's Takashi? Tell me where he is!" Haruna's voice was unsteady, loud, the verge or tears and shouting.

_She's a threat._

The voice Anri heard was neither physical nor mental. It was simply… _there_. A scientist would describe it as the appearance of atoms.

"I don't know where he is." She insisted, her voice level.

Haruna's face contorted in disbelief as she screamed, "Liar!" She swung the scythe towards Anri's neck, resting it only centimetres from piercing the skin.

"I know. I know it's you! Stop hiding him from me!" Haruna snapped. "Just standing there… Fight like a _true _Saika!"

Anri frowned, unsure of what to do.

_I have no…?_

An overwhelming screeching filled Anri's head. Pain, fear, grief, all of it mixed into a dissonant melody.

She began to stumble, her surroundings blurring once more.

What?

Haruna, lowering her scythe, raising an eyebrow. Watching with a blank face as Anri staggered about, she began to laugh.

"Ha ha!" She tilted her head. "I knew it! I knew it! You're no wielder! Letting Saika overcome you when the time's convenient! You don't control Saika. It controls you! It's so obvious!"

Anri could barely pay any mind to Haruna's hysterics, wincing at how the screams now seemed to pulsate in her mind.

"But me?" Haruna's voice became softer, quieter, as if she was sane. She settled her scythe against the ground, leaving a loud clank. "_I_ control Saika. I have overcome Saika. _Twice_. While you just stand there and let it overcome you!"

_Hatred. No, love._

The voice broke through the screaming, giving Anri a well-appreciated silence, and soon Haruna's voice became clearer.

"You know why?" Haruna purred, "Because I have something to fight for. Some_one. _Takashi…" Her voice seemed to soften, to drift off. _Fake. Illusion._

"You, however," Haruna raised her voice, along with the scythe. "Have no one. You don't have a cause in this world. There's no one for you to worry about, though. And vice versa." She giggled innocently. "But you already knew that."

Anri looked down.

"Are you even listening?"

Anri gave no response, biting her lower lip.

Haruna placed a hand on her hip, "Useless! That's all you are! Useless! Useless! Useless!"

Anri felt a heavy weight on her arms.

"_Why_ did Saika bother you?"

_That's not it._

"Whatever." Haruna swung her scythe down, letting its weight guide itself to the target.

_It was… a mistake._

Instead of the clean cut she had hoped for, her scythe collided harshly against metal.

"What?"

With a lowered head, Anri deflected the scythe's assault. The red glow in her eyes was barely visible, leaving a faint tint on her face.

"You let your guard down…" She muttered, allowing their gazes to meet.

Haruna scoffed, "Oh shut up!"

She craned her scythe over, allowing it to slip past Anri's own blade, crashing against the pavement. She gave a short struggle before pulling it up above her head.

It gave 'Anri' plenty of time to back out of the way, watching the scythe slide across the air. While her own blade pointed towards Haruna.

"I'll never let you-"

Haruna's eyes widened. She felt an undeniable pressure. A weight in her mind.

She realised something…

No longer was she facing Anri Sonohara. In fact, she wasn't even facing Saika. The presence before her wasn't physical or mental. It was - maybe, just maybe - spiritual.

"Takashi's whereabouts aren't something I'm aware of." The stern, harsh tone contradicted Anri's own soft, delicate voice.

Haruna could only stand in vexation.

The girl in front of her stood, blank-faced. Only did she show emotion upon a loud screeching, that of tires. 'Anri' craned her neck slowly, spotting a speeding green van. Glancing over at Haruna, however, she could tell that the girl had no idea of what was to come.

Then she felt an indescribable hatred towards something.

_Mistake…_

_Mistake. Mistake. Mistake! Mistake! Mistake! Mistake! Mistake! Mistake! Mista-!_

The van thrashed its way between Anri and Haruna, the latter yelping in surprise.

"_Drive! Drive! Drive!"_

A small portion of Anri's mind recognised the voice from the van. With this small window of realisation, she began to run from the scene. A mixture of panic, fear, and frustration guiding her feet to wherever.

Haruna called out from the distance. "Get ba-"

The sound of motorcycles cut off Haruna's voice. Turning, Anri wasn't able to identify any specific motorists.

_What just happened?_

She leaned against a wall, panting and shaking her head furiously.

_That's never happened before! So why now! _

The blade has already disappeared, leaving Anri empty-handed, and with no words to describe what had happened.

_Why is Haruna back? When did she…? _

Questions raced back and forth in her mind, and yet only one seemed to resurface.

_Why Saika reacted the way it did._

Moreover, how she could ever understand the subject, let alone gather any information about it.


	11. Chapter 10:  Despicable Offer

CHAPTER 10: DESPICABLE OFFER

_On the same day, at 17: 35_

"Well?"

A blonde-haired woman shifted her weight on her right hip, violet eyes looking around expectantly. Around her waist, a silver, metallic whip.

"Well what? I told ya, the tick was annoying. He had the exact same smug look on his face as that flea.

_The walking mass of destruction is a blunt one._

"I get not your parasite hatred." The woman responded in funny Japanese. Shizuo, pesticide is good for common problems."

Shizuo simply shrugged, blowing smoke in the air absently. "Never mind, Vorona." He sighed, shaking his head, "It'd be pointless to explain. So where were you yesterday, anyways?"

Vorona raised an eyebrow, "Previous day?" She repeated. "Consultation. Had to decline a despicable offer. Lowly motive for my conscience."

"An offer…?"

The Russian woman opened her mouth in response, only to be interrupted by her own 'kind'.

"Ah! Shizuo! Vorona!" Called out the man, Simon Brezhnev.

Vorona sighed, crossing her arms. "It's rude to interrupt, you know. Besides, I have already eaten. There is no reason for me to eat anymore. I do not have much money either. Plus, with this city's mixed up events, you shouldn't act so cheerful, da?" She slipped comfortable back into her native tongue, brushing off Shizuo's blank and confused expression.

"You act too old for your age. Enjoy your youth, Vorona. It's a blessing."

"How about speaking Japanese like everyone else in the city?" Shizuo cut in, walking past the two.

Simon gave a good-natured smile, "Shizuo in bad mood?"

Narrowing her eyes at Shizuo, Vorona nodded, "Parasite infestation."

_Ticks and fleas are easily handled in these modern times, however. Why are they such a bother to him? Such a strange man._

The nineteen years old was an assassin. She came to Ikebukuro under orders to hunt down the Black Rider. However, this was sidetracked by Izaya Orihara's offer, to eliminate a person named Anri Sonohara. This led to meeting the Black Rider itself. After awhile later, under ill-given advice from Orihara, had assaulted Shizuo, which ultimately failed, nearly blowing her cover.

_Therefore, I am forced into something as lowly as debt collection to keep my cover from being blown. That Tom Tanaka is surprisingly sly. Yet people are still able to hear of me…._

_Yesterday, Amphisbaena, abandoned bar_

The poorly-lit room highlighted only three people.

The first one being a middle-aged man with a wrinkled smile. Yodogiri Jinnai, who had many different personas, the manager of famous pop star Ruri Hijiribe, and a notorious criminal, gifted in the act of evading police.

"Vorona, is it?"

The girl nodded silently.

"Right then, I'll get to the point," he began, setting a suitcase down on the table. "I have… a minor obstacle that needs to be eliminated. I've tried myself, but it's far too risky and messy for my tastes."

Vorona listened closely to this shifty man's words. "Target being?"

Yodogiri laughed gruffly, patting the suitcase. "All the information you need is in here. Including two extra targets, for security's sake."

A woman in the background gasped. "Oh no." She warned, giving a sweet tone, much too young for her appearance. Her knees were badly bruised, her cheek had multiple scars and scratches, and faint burn marks lay around her mouth.

"Those two are useless. Our primary target takes far too many tsundere-ish precautions when it comes to the targets."

Vorona made a mental note of the woman. "Name?"

The sweet-voiced woman smiled. "Earthworm."

Yodogiri waved a hand dismissively. "Don't mind her." He opened the case.

Three photos lay in a pile of money.

A girl with red glasses, another with a blank face, and a young man smiling.

The latter, Vorona did not care for. The younger two, however, she would not bother her time in any country.

"I am not interested," she declined,

Yadogiri sighed, "I assure you, those two girls are not harmless. The bespectacled one is trained by Mikage Sharaku, a well-respected martial artist. And the other carries things such as pepper spray and mace around with her."

Vorona stood from her seat, heading for the door without a word.

"What about the primary target, at least?" Yadogiri offered, waving his hand over the money.

Vorona paused…

_Man of despicable intentions and smile. Woman of despicable looks and voice. Despicable for reasons. Dangerous making. Unwise to decline offer. Man is powerful. Woman is vicious. Mental noting verifies the offer as approachable._

"Offer has approval. And the offer shall be confirmed."

Earthworm clapped her hands. "Splendid! You know, while you're at, cut off his mouth and ears!" She tilted her head, rolling her eyes, "Actually, just cut off his ears. Don't kill him, immobilise him, knock him unconscious, but not into a coma. It's not fun if I can't hear his screams." She giggled, throwing her head into the air. "To torture that man again! Chinese water torture? Russian disciplinarians? No, no… I got it! Greek and Roman punishment devices! Maybe, if he's still alive and awake, even throw in a bit of Jack the Ripper into the mix? That'd be an amusing sight!"

Disgusted with Earthworm's ramblings, Vorona exited the bar.

_Ikebukuro, outside Russian Sushi, 17:55_

"So, Vorona?"

Glancing at Shizuo, she tilted her head in response.

"You were saying something about an offer or whatever."

"I was ordered to exterminate parasites." She replied.

She guided her attention to the road, full of cars. One vehicle in particular catching her attention.

A green van, fitting… maybe five people, from what Vorona could make out. The one driving, of course. One in an odd hat. Two young teens, a boy with narrow eyes and a girl clad in black. Finally, a black haired man with a smile on his face.

Violet eyes widened, locking on the van, until, however, her phone had rang.

_Het!* I was sure to turn it off!_

Seeing as whatever cover she could have was now blown, Vorona begrudgingly answered.

"Vorona? By now you've seen him, correct? I do believe that going now would be all too soon, so allow these men to… waver his attention, at least for now. A sly weasel, he is."

Out in the road, five motorcycles zoomed out from an alley. All the motorcyclists clad in blue sweaters of all shades.

"See… when wrong-doers continue on without any punishment, they start underestimating their surroundings. Which in such an upbringing society such as Ikebukuro, we just can't have.

"A few people of a certain group were direct victims of Mr. Orihara's arrogance, as you can see. So I bestowed some members with the identity of their true enemy. Anonymously, of course. For all they know- Ah, see? Even I suffer from this arrogance from time to time."

Vorona felt a stab of agitation run through her spine. Glancing into the van's window, she could see Izaya look through a window. Keeping a smile on his face, he said something, and suddenly the van ploughed through the traffic, soon followed by the motorcycles.

"Ha! Ha!" Yadogiri laughed. "See? Sly weasel he is! Learns the second time through! I'll be off now!"

_Noticed the entire scene, did he?_

"Be better off not knowing what the heck just happened..." Shizuo sighed.

_So he didn't notice Izaya Orihara? That's unexpected._

Vorona looked away in the opposite direction, starting to walk away. "I'm off. Discuss tomorrow."

Ignoring whatever response Shizuo, Vorona went on her way.

This outsider understood one things.

War was being waged in Ikebukuro.

No one would be spared of its after-effects.


	12. Chapter 11: Chase Them Down

CHAPTER 11: Rush Hour

"Ah hell!"

"Shut up! Just keep driving!"

"This is so cool!"

"So cool!"

Through the pandemonium in this green van, a motley quintet, motorcycles chased down the five, tires burning rubber and racing through the streets.

"Alright! Hold on a second! Why the hell are these guys chasin' down my van?"

Amongst the van's usual occupants was a black-haired man with a smile on his face.

"Seems a certain gang doesn't like me~. Hard to believe, eh, Dotachin?"

Kadota narrowed his eyes, "Don't call me that." He said, unaffected by the van's constant swerving, "So why are they?"

Izaya shrugged, smiling still. "There should honestly be a record of all the things I've done to make people dislike me. I suppose there's just not enough ink in this world for that, though. Truth be told, however, I couldn't tell you the exact reason for this lot to be chasing after me."

"You're lying," Kadota pressed.

Laughing, Izaya nodded lazily. "Guilty as charged. Let's just say there was … _burn out, _so to speak. Their leader must have caught wind of it."

Kadota narrowed his eyes. He hated how casually this conversation seemed to the informant. "You mean Izumi?"

Snide bastard…

Erika and Walker, once smiling widely, sobered their cheering and listened intently, straining against the screeching of tires and roaring of engines.

"No," Izaya replied, "Someone else. Although…" he trailed off, looking over to the pursuers just outside the van as if jerked to the left.

"Although _what_?" Kadota scowled.

"Izumi Ran does bear a grudge against A-"

The van jerked once more, rammed by a motorcycle on the side.

Erika and Walker lurched forward, hitting their heads against the passenger seat.

"This is almost as cool as when Izaya and Shizuo have their lo-"

Hastily, Walker covered her mouth. "This so isn't the time for that, y'know." He sighed.

Ignoring the two, Kadota looked over to Sabaro. "How ya holding up?"

The irate driver swerved once more. "They ran into my van! _Purposely!_ All for that guy?" He spat, glancing over at Izaya, who simply waved.

"You turned from the road." He pointed out, looking out the window.

"Who cares? You're paying for those dents!"

"Sabaro!" Kadota called.

Sabaro ignored him, carrying on with his rant. "This is why I only allow these three! Dammit Kadota, next time screw the hospitality!"

Izaya chuckled. "Dotachin knows that when I visit this city, that monstrous Shizu-chan is right around the corner, ready to mercilessly crush me to death. So being in a car is a good source of protection, plus, who wants to deal with the damage to buildings and such? I sure wouldn't~. Oh, and in front of you." He said, gesturing to the window.

Sabaro spun to the window. "Ah sh-!"

In between, Kadota yanked at the wheel sharply.

_Where'd those two come from?_

In the street were two girls. Both holding weapons.

What the hell is happening today?

"Izaya…" Kadota muttered.

"Hmm?"

"Stop doing whatever you're doing."

In the rear view mirror, Kadota could see the motorcycles, for whatever reason, were now sidetracked by the girls in the street.

_Did we luck out?_

Sighing, Kadota carried on.

"So what were you saying? About Izumi?"

Izaya's smirk widened. "You know, Dotachin, as an information broker, it's my sole duty to keep all information classified unless I'm properly paid. I can't go and give out free information. What if it landed in the wrong hands? It could start a war or something. We don't want that~."

_So where's the lightning? He's lying right out his ass._

"I'm not that desperate."

"Suit yourself."

Abruptly, the van came to a stop.

"Alright! Get out! I swear to God if the van's dented anymore than already!" Sabaro - obviously - had finally snapped.

"Sabaro, I still-"

"It's fine, Dotachin." Izaya stepped outside the van, "Besides, this is indeed my stop." He began to walk away, disappearing into an alley.

_That alone worries me._

Kadota glanced over at Erika and Walker. "You alright back there?"

"Yeah!" Walker cheered, "that was awesome! Totally outta a movie!"

Seeing as the two were fine, Kadota nodded. "Sabaro, let's get outta here."

The driver, who had his head resting on the steering wheel in frustration, grunted, raising it up slowly. "Gladly."

As the van drove off, one of the girls from earlier ran past.

Erika gasped, "Ah! Dotachin! Dotachin! It's Anri!"

_What?_

Seeing the short-haired girl run past made Kadota wonder as to _who _the other girl was.

Another thing being…

"_This is indeed my stop…"_

Anri was running in the same direction as Izaya had left.

It was either pure coincidence, or total misfortune.

_Spells disaster either way…_


	13. Chapter 12:  Triangular Distance

CHAPTER 12: Triangular Distance

_The next day, Tuesday, beginning of class_

"Right then, Miss Sono- Ah, it seems she's absent today."

As the teacher announced this, Mikado looked over at the empty seat…

_Later, after school, on the Ikebukuro streets of Sunshine City_

"Mikado? Dude, is Anri absent? She okay?" Masaomi gave a concerned look, and looked over Mikado's shoulder, as if expecting to see the girl to appear suddenly.

"I'm not sure. Yesterday she was acting sort of weird. And went home right after school."

_Come to think of it, she didn't really speak at all yesterday either. _

Sighing, Mikado rubbed the back of his neck, "I wish I had asked her if anything was wrong. I was too distracted by a new student we got."

Masaomi shrugged, "Don't worry, Romeo~. I bet she just caught a cold or something." He smiled, "But you're a crap boyfriend if you don't at least visit her."

"What? It's nothing like that!" Mikado protested.

But…

"But dude, I found something pretty interesting." Masaomi tapped his friend on the shoulder.

"Which is?"

The blond pulled out a piece of paper out of his pocket. Unfolding it, it read:

Enter to win free four tickets! Ruri Hijiribe's spectacular anniversary concert!

_Since when was Masaomi a fan?_

"_Uh…_ Masaomi? I don't think Anri would be interested." Mikado pointed out, reading over the poster. "Why are you so interested all of a sudden?"

Masaomi's smile fell, and an odd glint in his eyes sparked through. "Uh. No reason, just thought it'd be a good break from things, y'know?"

"But who would be the fourth?" Mikado raised an eyebrow, feeling that something was missing from this conversation.

"I'm still working that out." Masaomi replied.

Mikado tilted his head.

_Anri, me, Masaomi… I can't think of another one… But I guess it could be like a 'get well soon' for Anri. It's something Masaomi would do._

_Bring! Bring!_

Masaomi pulled out his phone, frowning deeply. "Hey man, I gotta take this. Sorry." He sighed, walking away from Mikado.

_I wonder what that was about…_

This moment to himself gave Mikado more than enough time to think.

He was the leader of Dollars.

Anri was Saika.

Masaomi was the leader of Yellow Scarves, or at least at one point.

All three now knew of the messed up triangle, the web of secrets. Yet they all tried to ignore it. Believing that is shouldn't change their friendship.

_It's pretty… cold, though…_

Mikado looked over at Masaomi, who had a solemn look on his face.

_Especially Masaomi…_

Lately the boy would drift away from things. His hair, once a vibrant blond, was now fading back to its original brown.

He had returned from his three-month long absence, all smiles and the works. Yet he was still dropped out of high school, travelling around with Saki in Japan, from what Mikado was told.

"Mikado!"

Masaomi ran towards him, frowning indefinitely. "Sorry, dude. But I gotta go." He rubbed the back of his neck, shifting back and forth rigidly.

"Is something wrong?"

Shaking his head hastily, Masaomi laughed weakly, "Nah. Just gotta go. Nothing big."

He gave a quick wave, walking away from Mikado.

_Something's wrong._

Mikado bit his lower lip.

_I don't like this._

Anri seemed to be getting less and less responsive. Masaomi, Mikado's long-time friend, was becoming entirely detached.

_Not that I'm any better…_


	14. Chapter 13:  Conflicting Information

"Yellowtail! Yellowtail!" A girl called cheerfully, eyes glimmering childishly.

Just another odd character. Within an odd group.

"Keep it down." This hat wearing man adverted his eyes to see a young blonde and his friends. A bitter sight, on some sort of level he couldn't pinpoint.

Kadota, keeping his usual role as the 'straight man', simply tolerated his own friend's refreshing quirks.

A tray was set down the table, "Yellowtail sushi, yes?" The black Russian had his usual smile. Unlike most people in this city, Kadota noted, it was, without a doubt, incredibly natural.

Erika Karisawa clapped her hands happily, "Great! Thanks Simon!" She cheered.

Beside her, Walker was toying with his chopsticks, biting the inside of his left cheek, a distant cloud floating over his eyes as a light frown marred his forehead... It was strange to see him gazing off into space like that, which pointed Kadota's attention to him.

"Not hungry?" Kadtoa asked, leaning back and raising his eyebrows. It was odd for more than one person to stay quiet within the duo.

Of course, the narrowed eyed boy merely shrugged, smiling as cheerfully as his female counterpart.

Beside Kadota was Saburu; the self appointed chauffeur of the motley quartet. "Don't talk about that crap when we're eating! How many times do I need to say that?"

Kadota sighed.

_Cool it man._

Erika and Walker continued their frantic cheering as Kadota easily tuned them out. This was another `typical' day. A loosely put term.

'Typical' didn't exist in Ikebukuro.

It _never _did.

Not in middle school. And _especially _not in high school.

"Dotachin?"

Time to re-immerse himself into the present.

"Don't call me that."

"Dotachin, have you heard of that new group?"

He merely crossed his arms as he listened intently.

"They're called the 'Sirens', I heard they're some gang like the 'Dollars'. Weird, huh?"

_In other words, a bunch of pricks screwing around for attention._

"Yeah, they've gotten super popular in the metro area of Tokyo, y'know?"

How envious one could be of the bliss children were supposed to hold dearly..

Kadota couldn't help, but feel a creeping uneasiness. Why make another gang like the Dollars? What point would it serve?

It would only create drama among the two ''online colour gangs".

_Drama._

A conflict between gangs.

Most likely a war.

It was right up his alley.

No doubt about it. The single man who formed "Dotachin" had caught a wind of this

And he'd go to serious lengths to spice things up. Get innocent people caught up in the trouble.

Like with Blue Squares and Yellow Scarves.

But..

Stay out of it, avoid trouble.

Unfortunately, staying out of things didn't fit Kadota's image on things. He couldn't simply ignore something so... Suspicious. Nor his own friends.

He listened to his friends as they rambled on; the feelings of a carefree life only a breath away.

He wondered how long it would take before chaos decided to strike

Those thoughts were split in half as he heard the infamous neighing. The jet black motorcycle zooming by. Another mystery.

'Sirens' and 'Dollars' simply added up the mysteries within Ikebukuro.

And one could not help but wonder.

Who are The 'Dollars' and their 'leader'?

_Izaya Orihara?_

Or some random person looking for kicks themselves?

Once his thoughts were shattered and left for another time as the bell rung. The same teenaged trio laughed and joked as they left.

Whoever the Dollars or the Sirens were led by, that person had leadership and charisma.

This narrowed the list only slightly.

One of his two guesses, however, Kadota stubbornly refused to acknowledge.


	15. Chapter 14: Kings Prepare for War

CHAPTER 14: As the Kings Prepare for War, a Lion is Skinned

"So, about yesterday…" a sweet voiced woman began, swinging her bruised legs back and forth from her place atop a counter. "are you sure it was wise to eave the woman alone?" She tilted her head. "I don't get your reasoning, Yodogiri."

The old man sighed, nodding at her statement. "Miss Vorona is a trustworthy woman," he replied, "I only act so carefully because of a star example."

Earthworm blinked. "Star example?"

"Did you happen to see the news about the incident on May 4?" Yodogiri smiled, raising an eyebrow.

"I don't bother with the news. However, I am aware of the incident. Your sly old self outsmarted the infamous information broker, Izaya Orihara. Thought to be the top of the city. The master behind all its little strings." She picked up a knife, waving it in the air as she giggled. "Bam! Right in the back! Quite the prank call if you ask me~."

The old man remained silent.

"But why didn't you just kill him then and there? Then you wouldn't be wasting your money on this Russian girl."

Laughing haughtily, Yodogiri leaned back in the sofa propped in the middle of the bar. "It'd be like skinning a newborn lion cub."

_Pardon? _Earthworm stopped her laughter, now confused with the man's reply.

"It's but a scrawny runt. There's no fight to look forward to. So let the man polish his tactics a bit."

Earthworm twirled strands of her hair around. "You sound like the coach of a wrestler or something," she said with a bored expression.

"Allow me to put it into terms one of your calibre can appreciate, then." Yodogiri stated. "It'd be as if you were to torture a baby."

_That'd be no fun._ "It'd be no fun."

_Well, he got lucky with that comment._

"The baby would cry and cry regardless of the situation. Whether it'd be hungry, or missing its mother. You wouldn't be able to enjoy the specific cries of agony and despair. However, with an adult, they can fathom that pain and fear of the situation in front of them. Therefore, it's much more enjoyable to see their reaction to their fingernails being ripped off."

_He's good…_

Earthworm nodded, deciding silence was the best answer.

_So in other words, he wants Izaya to gain even more information? Power? Impact on the city? Comparing him to a lion cub seems demeaning though. Not to mention confusing._

"Precisely."

_He did it again? _

Yodogiri sighed, shaking his head, as if speaking to a puppy. "I've met plenty of people to understand one's expressions. You in particular put on no airs."

Shifting uncomfortably, Earthworm crossed her legs. "I suppose you are an informant after all. In your own right, that is." She shrugged, "And Ruri Hijiribe's manager, right?"

The old man nodded, inhaling the strong scent of tobacco that was now covering the room. "For now, yes."

_He really is everywhere._

"You know, just yesterday you were complaining about arrogance." Earthworm scoffed, throwing her head up, "And yet here you are, bragging and bragging."

"With old age comes a fickle mind. You'll understand soon enough."

_Will I now?_

"So can I torture him? For real this time? _And _his sisters?" She asked, tilting her head.

Yodogiri gave a grunt of agreement, "Of course. Mind you, I have four separate targets I can't allow you to have your way with."

He laid down four pictures. A toned brunette woman, two teens, one blond and the other brunette, and a scarred, black haired man.

_That Izumi character!_

Earthworm gritted her teeth, looking at her scarred and bruised body. Izumi Ran had attacked her from behind, with a hammer, if she remembered, and slammed it against her knee. He proceeded to simply beat the woman unconscious, from there, Earthworm remembered nothing.

"Now, now. I have a young man more than willing to get some well-deserved revenge of his own against Izumi Ran. As for Mikage Sharaku, Vorona shall take care of her." Yodogiri crossed his arms, looking over at Earthworm.

"And the couple?" she asked.

The criminal shrugged, "The poor couple is simply caught up in misguided trust, bound by desperation and tragedy. They only need to be kept out of the way. No need for drastic measures."

As if disgusted by his fake sympathy, Earthworm scrunched up her nose. "How cheesy." She commented. "So wishy-washy." She stared at her bruised knees once more.

_How awful..._

Suddenly, she laughed harshly. "Ha! That informant! Izaya Orihara? Against you? Age versus youth. David and Goliath! Wisdom against cunning!" She went on and on, laughing the entire time.

Laughed…

Laughed…

And laughed…

_Contradicting one another! Yet one and the same! Brilliant! Simply brilliant! It'd be a wonderful soap opera!_

Only Earthworm, infamously known as the Goddess of Torture, would ever be able to provide such poetic terms for one's misfortune.

Yodogiri narrowed his eyes, "Granted your enthusiasm is appreciated, you should-"

"No way!" Earthworm slipped into a gruff, harsher voice, leaving the fake tone of femininity. "He ruined my reputation! Assaulted my subordinates with some weird magic! Oh, I will enjoy this!" She called out to the world. _"Slowly!"_

"That's the spirit!"

And so, Earthworm anticipated one thing.

_The two kings of the jungle, head to head for their place amongst the pride. Nothing like checkers. That lion will be skinned alive! The lion's Izaya, obviously. Hmm… skinning him alive doesn't sound to bad, actually!_


	16. Chapter 15:Gratitude in Strangest Places

CHAPTER 15: Gratitude in the Strangest of Places

_15 minutes earlier…_

The sinking feeling in Masaomi's stomach was almost instant.

"But who would be the fourth?" His friend's confused expression set off some sort of spark.

_Just _had _to ask? Isn't it obvious by now?_

Feigning a smile, Masaomi laughed. "I'm still working that out."

_Thought it _really _should be obvious._

Mikado still seemed confused, tilting his head to the side.

_Bring! Bring! _

_Crap…_

Masaomi pulled out his cell phone, grimacing slightly. Upon reading the caller I.D., he bit his lower lip, inhaling sharply.

Turning to Mikado, he made no effort to hide his agitation. "Hey man, I gotta take this. Sorry."

He went on ahead, careful to be out of Mikado's hearing, answering the call.

"What is it?" he said rigidly.

"And here I expected a warm and friendly greeting…"

The snide voice grated against the fake blonde's ears. "What _is _it?"

"I need you to meet me up at Narita Airport."

Raising an eyebrow, Masaomi sighed, tightening his grip on the phone. "What for?"

"A different assignment, primarily. Also because I should start taking more precautionary approaches towards things. Ever been in a hospital for more than a week? Pretty boring and depressing."

"Precautions? That's not like you." Masaomi pointed out.

"Now, now," the reply paused, "I'm not that heartless as to let a teenage couple get caught in the crossfire~. Don't be so cold. Shouldn't you at least _thank me?"_

_Well if that wasn't the most sickening comment in the world… if it's not his age, he really sucks at lying about himself. Lying to other people on the other hand…_

"I don't think I should be worried about-"

"Unless you favour the odds of running into Blue Squares, I highly suggest coming to the airport. That is…" A starch laugh, "Saki-chan's well-being surely hasn't depleted _that _much from your mind, has it? How heartless!"

Masaomi's eyes widened, he nearly hung up on Izaya after his remark.

"Izaya." He snapped.

"Hmm?"

The fading blonde gritted his teeth, trying to recollect his better judgement.

_It'll suck if I lose my cool now…_

"Still there? It was just a jo-"

"_Shut up. _I'm coming."

Masaomi hung up, sighing sharply.

_This really sucks._

He looked over at Mikado.

_Huh… yeah, as if. This _really _sucks…_

Inhaling, Masaomi rubbed the back of his neck.

"Mikado!"

The black-haired friend turned, smiling.

"Sorry dude, I gotta go." Masaomi kept his hands in his pockets, more than eager to leave.

Mikado raised an eyebrow. "Is something wrong?"

_That's what I'd like to know…_

"Nah. Just gotta go. Nothing big."

Quickly, Masaomi walked away, turning into an alley.

_So now isolation is preferred. My God this day just gets better and better._

He laughed bitterly.

"_Saki-chan's well-being surely hasn't depleted that much from your mind, has it? How heartless!"_

In the midst of his frustration, Masaomi kicked a dumpster. The impact echoed in the alley, as if encouraging another kick.

"_Shouldn't you at least _thank me?"

_Just what for?_

"Masaomi?"

The soft voice acted almost like a neutraliser. Lowering his foot from another kick, Masaomi sighed in a small bit of relief.

"Saki…"

The brunette smiled, tilting her head. "You won't have much luck in a street fight against a dumpster," she joked.

Blinking, Masaomi hastily shifted over to Saki's side.

"So you got called too, Masaomi?"

"Yeah, unfortunately. Luck doesn't really like me." Masaomi gave a weak smile. "Remind me again of why we thought it'd be a good idea to…" He sighed, rolling his eyes in disgust. "Work for that guy?"

Smile remaining, Saki nudged him. "Because you said you'd do anything to make things right, I believe." She shrugged, "Plus, we needed some sort of financial aid, and Izaya-san offered to help."

Comfortably at her side, Masaomi nodded. "Instead of all that…" He slid in front of her, halting her, " 'It's because you're a gullible, love-stricken idiot that's bent on your own mental and social destruction.' Would have sufficed. " He said dramatically, a hand on his heart, "Followed by a dramatic kiss to relieve me of such a gloomy state."

_Or even shorter, I'm out of my mind._

Saki laughed, "Stop stalling," she stated, beginning to walk.

Straightening from his bow, Masaomi soon followed.

"I'm not stalling. Though, if like… some tragic accident sent the guy to hospital, I wouldn't complain."

"You should be grateful for the bit of help Izaya provides." Saki replied sternly, frowning a bit.

"That's a seriously microscopic bit of help."

_But_…

"Masaomi, please just _try_." Saki urged, concern growing on her expression.

The blonde nodded, "Maybe another time." He said casually.

"I have to admit, though…"

Saki blinked, raising an eyebrow. "Admit what?"

A jester-like smile appeared on Masaomi's face. "I do have _one _thing to thank him for."

Saki stopped walking, a wide smile on her face. "See! I told you." She cheered. "So, what is it?"

Masaomi rested a hand on her shoulder, continuing the stroll at his own pace. "You should stop stalling~." He teased.

_Being able to meet you is a pretty great plus. _

"I'm pretty curious myself.," said a suave voice on his right.

Masaomi stopped dead in his tracks, as if his brain shut down.

_What?_

"Izaya" Saki said, tilting her head. "What about Narita Airport?"

Masaomi kept silent, keeping a sharp glare on Izaya.

"Airport security is a pesky thing, it is." The informant sighed, a hand in his coat pocket. "I should've known better than to forget about metal detectors. They don't like weapons a whole lot."

_That or they just know a future terrorist when they seem em'._

"Whatever, what do you want anyways?" Masaomi snapped.

Izaya held up his hands in mock defence. "No need to act so cold~" He laughed. "Here you two are having a nice mini-date, and my charitable self was about leave you be a few moments longer, but I just can't help myself with this talk of gratitude."

_Well isn't that just great?_

Masaomi crossed his arms, leaning against the wall of a building. "Just what do you want?"

Saki looked over to Masaomi, giving him an assuring smile.

"For one, you two need to drop Yodogiri Jinnai." Izaya's voice sobered uncharacteristically. "As of now, your main focus is the online group Sirens."

Masaomi raised an eyebrow, "Sirens? Why?"

Saki nodded, keeping her smile. "So what do you need to know, Izaya?"

Izaya shrugged nonchalantly. "Just general knowledge. Members, use of the status, the usual stuff. Nothing big." His smile returned. "Except the leader. That's _my _priority."

The teenaged couple gave silent nods.

They knew Izaya well. Silence was almost always the best answer.

The informant clapped his hands. "Great. I leave it to you, then. Oh, and Masaomi?"

The boy narrowed his eyes. "Yeah?"

"Be on the lookout. Like I said, Blue Squares is getting pretty aggressive for some reason." Izaya crossed his arms, once more dropping his smirk.

Saki bit her lower lip, looking down at the ground.

"That's also my priority. It's too unusual to pass up. Stay on Sirens' tail."

_He's leaving something out…_

"Saki, we should go."

The girl nodded, soon by Masaomi's side once more.

Izaya's voice faded out as he left. "Good luck, you two~!"

_Fuck off._


	17. Chapter 16:  Idle Chit Chat

CHAPTER 16: IDLE CHIT CHAT

**Gem: Isn't this just awesome?**

**Pepper: Well duh~**

**- L.C. has logged in -**

**L.C.: Hello.**

**Gem: You made it~**

**L.C.: This is really different from the Dollars chat.**

**Pepper: I think it's pretty cool.**

**L.C.: Is there a private chat mode?**

**- Green has logged in -**

**Green: Not yet.**

**Green: The leader is still configuring with coding and the likes. It'll be a while until everything's set up.**

**L.C.: I see. I'm sure it'll get up soon!**

**Gem: Nothing like Dollars.**

**Green: On the other hand~.**

**Green: BOLD.**

**Green: **_**Italics.**_

**Green: ****Underline****.**

**L.C.: ?**

**Pepper: Oh. So it has coding?**

**Green: I promise you I'll be abusing the feature~.**

**Gem: Crap.**

**Gem: Gotta go.**

**- Gem has logged out -**

**Pepper: Yeah. I should get off too. See ya.**

**- Pepper has logged out -**

**Green: So L.C.**

**Green: You're new here, right?**

**L.C.: I am.**

**Green: Welcome to the Sirens, in that case~! w**

**L.C.: Thanks.**

**Green: So were you a member of Dollars? Lots of the other members are.**

**L.C.: Yeah, I was.**

**Green: As am I. Not many other members care, but some are a bit… Confrontational, so to speak. **

**L.C.: Really? I see.**

**Green: Anyways.**

**Green: Duty calls. Off to work I go~.**

**- Green has logged out -**

_Kamichika Residence_

_It's pretty similar. But totally different._

Rio stared at the Sirens homepage, still chock full of the same forums as before.

But everyone else seemed to like it.

Downstairs she could hear her mother speaking to a man. Not her father, but a lawyer. Her father.?

He had already left the household altogether. With that woman. However, instead of allowing this to affect her, Rio began hanging out with the usual group of girls and Chikage. She went to school, but barely paid any attention in class. She might as well dropout. It already happened twice in Raira. First with some Yagiri fellow, and then the next time was with a blond student in Rio's own class. If she dropped out, it wouldn't make any difference.

_No._

Rio cringed at the thought.

I'm walking forward. I have to remember that.

She picked up her phone, staring through her contacts.

Aruki. The rough looking girl in her throng of friends. She never gave the group her last name. She was one of the older girls, the `older sister' type the others asked advice from.

Rio pressed the girl's contact, eager to ask her some questions and settling things.

"Rio!"

Aruki was a loud person. Always outspoken, but friendly. This voice was neither.

"Uh, hi, Aruki. Can I-"

"Rio." Aruki interrupted silently. "Do you know what happened to Rie?"

Rio blinked, tilting her head. "Huh? I don't know. I haven't seen her at all."

Aruki sighed listlessly on the other line. "Rio, um." she sighed once more. "Rie's... missing."

Rio kept silent for a few seconds, struggling to register what Aruki had just told her. "What do you mean?" she choked.

"I mean she's missing!" Aruki snapped suddenly. "I haven't seen her since yesterday. Not even Chikage has."

_Is she... really missing? _

"M-maybe she's sick?" Rio suggested, smiling nervously. "We don't know for sure. Maybe she's busy or sick or something?"

_I can't. No way. She couldn't have. Rie was totally upbeat and all. What reason would she…_

Rio grimaced.

_Knock knock._

Rio's mother opened the door, a tired look on her face. "Rio,,, I'll be talking to some debt collectors a little longer, so. I think you should stay up here for the time being."

_Wait! Since when…_

"We're in debt?" Rio covered the phone's receiver, feeling her stomach turn.

Her mother nodded in solemnly. "Y-yes.." She sighed. "Your father was apparently... Spoiling that woman he's with and-" She trailed off.

"Mom?"

"Just stay here for now," her mother pressed, leaving Rio.

"Um, Aruki?" Rio began, "I have to go, alright?"

There was a slight pause. "Sure."

Aruki hung up, leaving Rio in silence. The only thing to be heard was the ticking of a clock.

Eager to relieve the silence, Rio turned her attention over to the website.

Here she was, a school girl caught in the middle of relationship problems between her mother and father. While all she did was sit back idly and watch the strain pull and pull at the seams.

She scrolled absently thought the forums. One finally caught her sight.

**[RURI HIJIRIBE CONCERT?:**

**The group's pretty much just started, but I think a meeting at the concert would be a good first meeting. **

**Reply 109: Don't be insane.**

**Reply 110: Has Nagata replied to this?**

**Reply 111: There are better things to worry about.**

**Reply 112: I think it'd be cool.**

**Reply 113: Isn't this ripping off the Dollars though?]**

Rio over more replies. Some replied nicely, but most simply ridiculed the idea.

Raising an eyebrow and tilting her head, she shook her head at the thought that a newly formed gang would even bother to meet at a concert, of all things.

**[Reply 121: Guys, Nagata is e-mailing all the members right now. Check yours right now if possible. It's his final decision.]**

Naturally, Rio moved on to her e-mail. Sure enough, there was a reply from Nagata:

**Sender: **

**Sub: Ruri Hijiribe Concert - Possible Sirens Meeting**

**Rec: Rio Kamichika (magentyoohoo,com)**

"Regarding the forum post 'Ruri Hijiribe Concert', I'd like to point out the possibility of Dollars members being there as well. (Info verified by another administrator, "Green")

If you plan on attending, be aware of this possibility, and remain anonymous.

Extra Note: Transparency belongs to the Dollars. White belongs to Sirens. Most members come from different colour gangs, and even if not, they still make up the entire existence of Dollars. The group's affected by different personalities, colourful ones, to be specific. White is affected by all colours. Therefore, we're white."

The message seemed nothing more than an info dump. The letter was chock full of unrelated information that made no sense. The more Rio read it over, the more confused she got.

Rio tilted her head. She was both a member of Dollars and Sirens. It had never occurred to her until earlier that other members were too.

_How does that work out? Wouldn't the leaders get angry or something?_

Another e-mail popped up.

**Sender: no **

**Sub: Last Bit of Contact**

**Rec: Rio Kamichika ()**

"Rio, it's Rie. Just need to tell you that I won't be at school anymore. I'm fine, by the way.

I gotta go.

Bye."

Dumbfounded, Rio could only read the message over and over again; a growing sickness taking place in her stomach.

_What's she talking about? Rie…_

Rie Kujimura.

She looked over the sender address.

`No .'

_From Sirens._


	18. Chapter 17:  Complexities

Chapter 17: Complexities

A click of the doorknob alerted Namie Yagiri of her visitor. Raising her head from a stack of 'dismissal forms', she sighed dully.

"Ms. Yagiri." The door opened without a reply, an American man giving the woman a stern, cold stare. For a newcomer to Japan, he was unnaturally fluent in the language. His diction was flawless.

"What can I do for you?" Namie asked calmly. She raised an eyebrow, more or less, from how nonchalant this man was.

_This is _my _pharmacy. Don't act so carelessly. _

The foreigner, Alexander Truman, was a well-respected executive from Nebula. He was now inspecting each individual department of Yagiri Pharmaceuticals. This meant two things relating to Namie's future.

One, she was about to loose all her power here. Two, her research was in jeopardy.

_This is ridiculous._

The American kept his steely gaze. "We'll need a key card of yours. To enter a research department. I cannot simply enter the room without your validation."

Namie's mind went blank. A pounding alarm ringing through her ears, but she forced it to subside. Setting down the stack of papers, she sighed in resign. "I'm afraid it was… stolen," she explained, keeping her head low.

"By whom?"

"The… girlfriend of my younger brother. I had no idea she would go this far. She was a nice girl and all, a little odd, but…" Namie shook her head. "That doesn't matter now. She's holding it 'ransom', so to speak. Apparently, my brother had planned to break up with her for some reason, and she didn't take it well. As long as she has the key, she's forcing him to 'date' her, or else she'll just sell it to a pawn shop or even a rival company."

Alexander narrowed his eyes. "Can you not notify the police? Or even your own guards?"

"The police would grow suspicious as to why I am in such desperate need of the key guard. Moreover, sending my own guards would only evoke public distress for Yagiri Pharmaceuticals. _My _company."

"I see." The man sighed. "Then I'm afraid the inspections will be postponed until further notice. I apologise for the inconvenience.

Namie nodded her head solemnly. "I see. I understand."

With the lie set in place, Namie watched as the executive left her office.

She glanced at a photo.

_Seiji… I'm sorry, but…_

Her contemptuous stare returned.

_Mika Harima…_

The desperate girl had caused both Namie and Seiji grief. Stalking, finding something that she shouldn't have, going as far as stealing a person's identity and face, only to break down and confess to the pitiful lie.

Now, she manipulated Seiji with that scar. Their love was 'based' on lies and deceit.

_Oh Seiji… I wish I could be of more help to you._

Sighing, the woman battled against her conflicting emotions. To take back what she believed to be hers and hers alone, or let the world continue on.

Heartbreak was a part of life. Every human being has felt it as least once in his or her life. However, one as twisted and corrupt as Namie's was of another world altogether.


	19. Chapter 18:  Evening Blues

Chapter 18: Evening Blues

"Why the hell did ya think I'd be interested?"

Over the phone, an agitated Shizuo Heiwajima was now presented with an odd offer.

"Ruri has extra tickets…"

This dull and vague voice belonged to one of the most successful young actors of Ikebukuro.

"Kasuka, I'm not interested." Shizuo pressed. Along with the offer, two other things stood out to Shizuo.

The timing and location.

Shizuo stood outside a middle-classed house, while Tom Tanaka struggled with a debt negotiation.

_Better than _listening _to the sob story, I guess…_

Yet, right now, his younger brother was offering free tickets to Ruri Hijiribe's anniversary concert. Shizuo fully understood that - for the sake of publicity - Kasuka and Ruri had been 'dating', however…

_The hell do I care?_

_So now, with a phone in one hand, and a cigar in the other, the bodyguard tried turning down the offer._

"Kasuka… look…" It was a good thing no one ever claimed that Shizuo was the best with negotiations. That would be a lie. Frankly, not even that ass of a flea is fucked up enough to lie about it. "I don't have the time."

"We both know that." Kasuka replied calmly. "But Ruri seems set on bringing two others along."

_Since _when?

"Well… I ain't interested. And I gotta go."

Hanging up soon after, Shizuo questioned why Ruri would be so insistent. The pop star was not exactly interested in… _anything_. Just a rag doll of void expressions.

"Just how long does it take to settle this damned thing?"

Even in a city as restless as Ikebukuro, night still came.

Jobs like this bug.

Blowing a puff of smoke, the man slipped into his own thoughts to sort out.

"_Pleasure meeting you."_

_That brat's bad news. Fucking tick. He hangs with flea's younger sisters. No fucking wonder. I'll have to go to Shinjuku and kill that bastard flea. He's been a little too quiet. He should probably die before he thinks up another damned complicated plan and screws with 'Bukuro._

A click, more of a slam, interrupted Shizuo's thoughts. Turning, Tom was rubbing the back of his neck.

"Well?"

"Thank God you skipped out on this. Your destructive self would have gone ballistic."

"That bad?"

The debt collector nodded. "Something about a two-timing husband -"

"Leave it at that." Shizuo walked on ahead, completely disengaged.

"You're not in a pleasant mood." Tom commented.

_You wouldn't be too with fucking mini-clones walking around. That bastard's _breeding_… Fuck, that was a disturbing mental image._

"That tick from yesterday pissed me off."

Tom shook his head, giving a sigh. "How?" He questioned. "You don't even know him."

Shizuo stopped walking, eyes narrowing behind his sunglasses. "I can _tell_."

"Tell what?"

"That brat's bad news. I can tell. He's got the same smirk, same tone, and same aura around him that makes me want to beat the fucking shit outta him"

Laughing nervously, Tom nodded. "Right, the last thing _you _need is another punching bag."

Shizuo nodded. "No kidding."

"But just what gives you that feeling?"

"Instinct." Shizuo replied bluntly.

"That's something an animal would say."

Shizuo shot a look over at Tom, but before he could respond, the resonating neighing of a certain Dullahan appeared.

Celty, right in the neighbourhood, was driving erratically, followed by none other than Kuzuhara Kinnosuke, along with his other police units.

_More screwed up stuff._

Tom sighed, watching the two groups zoom by. "Looks like she's not getting a break tonight."

_Too many things are fucked up in this city…_


	20. Chapter 19:  War Zone

Chapter 19: War Zone

"You're not getting away that easily! You monster!"

What was once a quiet evening was now encompassed with the neighing of a black motorbike.

_I don't need this!_

Celty Sturluson was now forced to drive recklessly through a neighbourhood street. Her assailant, however, was not so easily fazed, spitting his usual remarks.

"Monster!"

_ I know I'm not human!_

Anything else Kinnosuke said has escaped Celty's hearing. Just as his harsh methods persisted, it gave Celty the ability to surpass fear, and now it was falling into a cold hatred and annoyance.

The Dullahan swerved around the street, making an advance for an exit of any sort.

_I deal with people _much _worse than you! I work for one! I'm friends with another! Izaya! Mikado! Anri! Shingen! Shizuo! Shinra! The list goes on! Why should _I _let _you _of all people scare me!_

_30 minutes later, an apartment in Ikebukuro_

"Welcome back, Celty."

The Dullahan had entered her apartment, now facing a man with a smile on his face.

[Shinra?]

The scientist was covered in bandage, from his forehead, to a cast around his left arm.

_All because of Yodogiri…_1

Shinra laughed, tilting his head. "You seem pretty surprised, Celty."

[Of course I am!] Celty typed urgently. [Did you even pay the bill?]

"No. Actually, I don't even know who did."

Shoulders slumping, Celty made some sort of sighing gesture.

_Thank God… _

"Celty? You're glad I'm back? That's great!" Shinra cheered.

This was the only man able to read expressions Celty couldn't convey.

_Of course I'm relieved. Why wouldn't I be?_

"Say…" Shinra muttered, "Was… my dad giving you a hard time while I was in the hospital?"

[Huh? No, he hasn't even contacted me at all.]

Shinra sighed, "I'm glad. It's not your fault, so there'd be no reason for him to do so." He frowned slightly, looking at the ground. "I'm… pretty tired, Celty. I'm gonna hit the hay, alright? Come to bed soon yourself~"

Huh?

Celty watched as her partner walked away, crossing her arms.

_ He didn't even try hitting on me much…. Or anything. Is… that really Shinra?_

She was indeed happy to see Shinra back on his feet. However, the feeling of something wrong about his return sent a chill down her spine.

_ Who paid his bill?_

Obviously not Izaya. Shingen didn't seem the least bit concerned. She couldn't think of anyone else that would have the money.

_ Weird, but…_

She shifted over to the window.

_I can't help but think that something's up. Not just with Shinra either. It's like the entire city is different._

She remembered the fit of anger she felt during Kinnosuke's chase. She almost ran her scythe right through him.

_Was that really me? I've never felt that sort of anger. It was like…_

She ignored the fact that she felt alive at the time.

_ It was like a war zone._

The headless woman was unsettled, shuddered at the thought.

_ I should be worried about Shinra. He's acting odd, so am I but…_

She wasn't really referring to just Kinnosuke when she thought of a war zone.

It was as if the city was a war zone.

Celty was just at the centre of one of the battles in this apparent war. When she fought back, she felt _alive_.

As if she was whole again.

Like she was with her _head_.

_A war zone…_

[I only found one mistake and that was in the sentence: _I deal with much worse people than you! _

You should put 'much worse' after people. It makes more sense that way. C:]

1 In the eighth light novel, Yodogiri sends out guards to attack Shinra, in order to get to Shingen, but it fails. Shinra is then hospitalised from vol. 8 - 9


	21. Chapter 20:  MultiLingual

Chapter 20: Multi-Lingual

_Wednesday, Raira Academy_

_ She's not here again._

With each passing second, an alarm went off in Mikado's head, every time he stared at Anri's empty seat.

_Is she all right? Is she in danger? I haven't heard from her in awhile. _

His head was searching ravenously for a reason for her absence.

_Maybe something - well, obviously something has happened, but what? Is it really just a cold?_

"So the chick ain't here again?"

The red-haired American whistled in surprise, sitting on his desk casually, feet on the chair. He removed a baseball cap with the baseball team Yankees on the visor.

"Is she a truant or somethin'? She seems to not like attendin' school a whole lot," he commented, smiling slightly, eyebrow raised. "I bet I won't be-"

"Don't say that!" Mikado snapped, "Anri isn't that type of person!"

Klaus only shrugged. "Well she ain't hardly here, not since I enrolled at least," he said. "So I was talkin' to some other students, that Anri Sonohara is yer' girlfriend, right?"

_ I'll never get used to that accent. Or that question._

"Erm… Anri and I are only friends, really."

"Not what everyone else said. Also some talk 'bout some drop-out," Klaus pressed. He kept his eyes focused on the classroom himself, not glancing at Mikado even once.

_How does he even know all that? Is he…? Talking about Masaomi?_

"You shouldn't believe those rumours," Mikado stated, shaking his head. "Anyways, your Japanese… is improving, I guess."

"I have… an affinity for languages. It helps since the ol' man's always travellin' 'round the world. So I'm stuck learnin' all these different languages."

"Where've you been?"

Klaus sighed, looking towards the ceiling. "England, Quebec, France, n'now Japan."

_ That's a lot of places. I wonder how long it's been like this._

"However, it seems to surprise people that I've never been to like… _The Reds, _Russia if ya know what I mean 'er something," Klaus continued, yawning. "Kinda sucks, it seems like this city has a lot of Russian speaking residents. I saw _two _earlier this morning'."

"Who were they?" Mikado asked, tilting his head.

Klaus clicked his tongue, giving a shrug. "Beats me. All I know was that it was that black Russian sushi chef and some guy in a black, trench-like fur jacket. The restaurant is right on my route to here, so I get sushi sometimes on my way here since I got here. But today, it would have been awkward to interrupt a _Russian conversation between two strong looking people all of a sudden,_ know what I mean?" He replied, grimacing at the thought. "It looked…dangerous, kind of. 'Hush hush' business 'er something. Not somethin' a high schooler to over hear or whatever," he explained, raising his hand in a 'shush' manner.

_ He means Simon and…_

Klaus sighed, rubbing his forehead. "It damn blows not bein' able to understand what they were sayin', though. Got me pretty curious."

_A furry jacket?_

A certain silhouette carved its way into Mikado's mind. "Simon and Izaya were talking? To each other?"

Klaus tilted his head at Mikado's question, raising an eyebrow. "Who and _who_?"

"Uh…" Mikado bit his lower lip, looking away rapidly.

_Of course, he wouldn't know them…_

"Ya know 'em?" Klaus pressed.

"Well… uh… _kinda_." Mikado stammered. "The chef is Simon Brezhnev, he's pretty cool. The other is…"

Klaus leaned in closer, tilting his head. "Yeah?"

"His name's Izaya Orihara." Mikado stated bluntly. "He's honestly not the best person in the world. He's… _dangerous_, is what most people would tell you."

"Klaus had a stern, intrigued expression on his face, "Uh huh…" he nodded. "Sounds like someone knows from experience."

"No! I mean, not exactly…" _It's not as if I know anything about him, really. He definitely knows about me, though… _"H-he's from Shinjuku, he and Shizuo Heiwajima fight a lot."

Klaus' face dropped, and he shook his head, raising his hand in a 'stop' motion. "Okay, okay, _hold up_. The 'el telefono', as a lot of my ol' neighbours would prefer," he started. "I'm _American_, a Yankee, from the Bronx, the _Projects_, dude. Too many syllables at once is bad fer'my brain. _Very bad.. _Izaya Orihara. Shizuo Heiwa-wa…"

"Heiwajima."

"Right. I think I'll learn shit on my own time. I'm still trying to memorise the _spelling _of _your _name, for fuck's sake." 

_Well there goes that whole "My name isn't as odd anymore." scenario…_

"Whatever. Back to this Anri chick. Sure ya ain't datin' 'er anything?"

Mikado sighed. "We're _just friends_…" He insisted, blushing slightly. "It's totally platonic."

Suddenly something was jumping into his brain. Sparks of recognition and nostalgia.

"Yer' sure? Everyone's sayin' otherwise."

_He's… I had a conversation like this with someone else. I can't place it, though. Three other people, but who? That's weird… I can't remember either of them. But they, along with Klaus, they all seem… _familiar_._

Mikado observed Klaus' carefree smile, confident and bright. It rung so many bells, it was overwhelming. Bells and alarms. An uneasy familiarity.

_Russia Sushi, 30 minutes later…_

"Come eat! Russia Sushi! Is cheap! Good!"

The black Russian's daily routine was a mundane and peaceful one. Offering sushi to the pedestrians of Ikebukurian streets, often ignored or terrifying said passer-by's.. It was not often for his peace to be disrupted. Hence, the typical sight of pedestrians walking away eagerly.

"Working hard as usual, I see."

The sharply featured man in refined clothing gave a casual wave.

"Ah, Izaya, you visit city?"

This vaguely translated to a more in-depth question.

"For now. Personally I'm just here to -"

"I don't suppose you ever compiled an answer as to why you're unable to kill on your own?" The conversation now slipped into Russian.

Izaya's friendly smile dropped, an exasperated sigh escaping his lips silently.

_ So he hasn't._

"I don't work as an assassin, so I'm not worried about that."

The response was blank and bland; there was no substance behind it.

"So instead you let others dirty their hands for you."

This was not a rare conversation between the two. In fact, it had become an almost daily topic.

"That's their choice. Now be honest here, you're talking about Saki and Masaomi, right?"

"I punched you earlier in the year for a reason."

Izaya laughed, giving a shrug as he raised an eyebrow. "I've been stabbed before. Have the scars and soreness to prove it, too. I've been hit head on with vending machines a number of times, I can't even _keep track _anymore. Obviously, those culprits _never _held back, a punch would do _nothing _at this point. _Maybe _karma is catching up on me, but if I'm alive, then so be it." 

There was a bitter tone in the informant's words.

_Hidden arrogance seems to be sparking through this morning._

"Enough of that fake smile, Izaya."

"Every breath is unpredictable. I won't be wasting mine on _complaints_."

_ He's being surprisingly simplistic. _

"Anyways~! Seems I'll be off now." Izaya called happily, his smile returning. "I'll stop by later some other time." He turned, giving a wave as he left.

"Da! Sushi good! Good part of break!"

And so the Russian's routine was now in balance once again.


	22. Chapter 21:  Cat Out of the Box

Chapter 21: Cat Out of the Box

_Sonohara Residence_

The soft-spoken girl stared blankly at her phone.

_Sorry._

Not five minutes earlier, her phone had rung for a fourth time.

It was her second day of absence. It was not like Anri. Even she knew that herself. Mikado must have been worried.

I'm just being conceited._ Being near anyone right now might be… dangerous… if what he said is true._

. In her hand was a katana.

_ It's pathetic, but…_

_Yesterday, an alley in West Gate Park_

Anri remained paralysed.

_What was that…?_

_Now panting, the katana in her hand had disappeared, Saika apparently calming down._ The motorcycles now distracted Haruna, hopefully.

_ So, what were those screams? I… I had no control whatsoever._

She slumped against the wall, resting her head on her knees.

_ "You have no one!" _

She flinched at the memory. "That's… that's not true." She stammered.

Yet, despite her miserable state, the rest of Ikebukuro was still bustling about. Whether it was work or simply enjoying the night air, they went on with their own lives. All Anri could think of doing was ignoring the blissful world they lived in.

"Well wasn't _that _quite the sight?"

Instinctively, Anri lurched upward, her katana slicing through the air.

A small blade deflected it sharply.

"You know, I'll never understand how this works."

The sarcastic remark was almost too calm for one whose life relied on a small flick blade against a katana.

Anri looked up; red eyes alight. "Izaya…"

"I'd much more prefer to speak to the _human persona _of you."

Hesitantly, Anri allowed her katana to disappear, keeping her eyes locked on the flick blade.

"Cutting to the point," Izaya began, "you seem to be having some self control issues, hmm?"

Anri blinked, tilting her head.

_ How would he…_

"I have a question for you."

"W-what?"

Izaya smirked, and adjusted the flick blade, Anri's distorted reflection staring straight at her. "Do you _really _hold Saika within you? Does she _really _obey you?"

Anri narrowed her eyes, "Of course," she said calmly…

Izaya laughed, shaking his head. "I wonder…"

_What is he saying?_

"Why wouldn't-"

Izaya sneered. "It depends."

Anri felt a sting in her head, flinching as Izaya went on.

"Your family was overpowered by Saika and died as a consequence. Saika then transferred on to you. That must be quite the burden, inhabiting such a creature."

Anri stared in distress, only watching the explanation take place.

"Whenever you feel threatened or are in trouble, Saika always saves the day and summons her 'children' to rescue you. It isn't you that controls that action," Izaya explained. "I'll ask you again… Do you _really _control Saika?"

The tone in his voice was not the usual mockery or sarcasm.

It was outright disgust.

Izaya, on the other hand, did not seem to be paying attention to his tone. "You already know what happened prior to Saika's appearance. Now open the box and see if the cat is alive or not."

_What is he even talking about; I don't understand. I can't… I don't want to understand, really. Ignore him, that's the best option._

"I'm referring to Schrodinger's cat," Izaya pushed on. "A theory. A cat in a box is either dead or alive, depending on prior circumstances, and further observations. There may be a bomb in the box, for example. The cat sees the bomb, however, if it explodes, it will also - for a split second - see the explosion, and then dies. On the other hand, there is the probability that the bomb does not go off, and the cat only perceives it as some random bit of debris or something. Then when a person opens the box, the cat - depending on events prior to their own curiosity - is either alive or dead."

He seemed satisfied with the lengthy explanation; it was possible Izaya did not expect her to follow it. "The question being, depending on what you've seen in the past, does Saika control you? Or do you control Saika?"

"I…" Anri was incapable of gathering her words. "That has nothing to do with Saika!"

"Oh?" Izaya replied, tilting his head. "Then let me simplify it a bit. Celty's head. Does it hold her memories, or after being separated by Saika, is it just an empty shell?"

Riddles. Riddles.

Staying silent, Anri contemplated her options.

Izaya was being incredibly casual, but was most likely still perfectly on guard.

Really, Anri had little of a chance.

"Saika's instinct gives out actions, which you-"

"What is it you want? You hate Saika, don't you? Why waste your time asking me questions regarding Saika, then?"

Her katana appeared once more, following Izaya's every move.

The informant kept a close eye on the blade, but did not let his smile drop. "I'm just saying. Who knows what could happen if you lost your grip on Saika? It would be a shame if old friends became _new enemies_. Don't let that thing control your actions. Heh… it's bad enough you _accept it_."

Still staring blankly at the phone, Anri was able to find a sliver of truth within Izaya's words.

Therefore, when her phone began to ring once more, she only ignored it.


	23. Chapter 22:  Concerto

Chapter 22: Concerto

"An anniversary?"

"That's right."

"Of… _what _exactly?"

"August 4. There's no really significance, but since 'four' is an unlucky number1, it'd be nice, since you're interested in the supernatural and superstitious rules of life, do you not agree?"

"I do…"

"Wonderful! I'll let you practice in the meantime."

_A recording studio in Yodogiri Records_

"Hijiribe, how's recording?"

The pale-skinned celebrity turned her head slightly, "Fine." She murmured silently.

As usual, the pop singer had a full schedule. She was rehearsing for the "anniversary" concert that Yodogiri Jinnai had arranged. It was also the debut for a new single, "Connected Worlds".

_An office, earlier that day_

"You're adding a concert?" Ruri, clad in the usual Gothic Lolita garb, tilted her head.

Her manager, Yodogiri, Jinnai, nodded happily. "I found four extra tickets in the street. A contest for free tickets would bring plenty of publicity."

Suppressing a doubtful look, Ruri kept silent.

_ I know people I could give the tickets to, though…_

Ruri nodded. "I see…"

Her manager nodded in approval. "However, I'm worried about one small detail."

Ruri tilted her head, looking more like a doll than anything, giving a vacant stare.

"That Hollywood murderer is still around. The concert will be at night, and it seems that colour gangs are becoming very active. Plus those unfortunate souls who were hospitalised about two months ago."

"Hospitalised?"

"Yes. An underground doctor and a young man from Shinjuku. The gap between the attempted murders aren't too far. I'm surprised you never heard of them until now." Yodogiri sighed, shaking his head. "No, you were busy working with that Yuuhei actor at the time. Of course you wouldn't have the time with something as idle as the news."

Ruri kept silent, nodding in agreement with his comments mindlessly.

"It also seems that the Blue Squares, newly rejuvenated, were chasing down a green van."

"Why?"

"No idea. It's better to stay out of underground business such as that."

Once more, the pop star nodded listlessly.

_Kasuka and Shizuo should just use them…._

Ruri sighed dully, staring at a wall. Her self-composed mind would not allow much emotion show through. She had lived her life like that since she was a child, following her parents' demands without a word in edgewise. It was easier to just do what they said, instead of voicing her opinion.

_ I wonder how the concert will go from here on._

Her expression remained blank as she crossed her arms nervously.

_ Hollywood won't do anything during the concert. I'll be too busy anyways._

The microphone set in the studio began buzzing.

"Hijiribe, we'll rehearse that one more time."

The dull girl nodded slowly. "Of course."

1 Four is considered an unlucky number in Japan. In hospitals, there's usually never a fourth flour. Nine is also considered unlucky. 4 + 9 = 13. So it can, to some degree, 'add up' to the similarities between East and West.


	24. Chapter 23:  Morning Mischief

Chapter 23: Morning Mischief

_Thursday, 11:07_

[Get them out of here!]

"Celty…"

[Out! _Especially _him!]

"Fr not having a head… you-"

"Celty…"

"Such rash behaviour, really, Celty. This is how you react when your partner returns-"

[Shut up!]

"Celty calm down!"

_I do _not _want to see these two in the morning!_

Celty Sturluson's least two favourite people had decided to stop by.

Around both of their necks were dark nooses as a consequence of that decision. Despite the identical situation, the two men's reactions completely opposite of one another.

"C-Celty! That hurts! Why do I have spikes around my neck while the odd gentleman doesn't?"

The masked man, Shingen Kishitani, squirmed about in a panicked manner, unable to pull away the thorny shadow.

Meanwhile, the odd gentleman simply observed the noose casually, smiling and keeping his own mouth shut.

_That's worse than Shingen…_

"Celty! Answer my - ack!"

The Dullahan tightened the noose slightly, typing in her PDA.

[If I had to, I'd rather a 'relative' die quickly. The one next to you can suffer slowly.]

Izaya laughed bitterly, raising an eyebrow. "You have the guts to let me suffocate right in front of you? That's an extremely gruesome mental image."

[Don't act as if you don't deserve it!]

"Celty…" Shinra, standing beside her, was at a loss of words.

Celty was trembling, fists clenched.

"Celty." Shingen commented, still tugging at the shadow. "Have you finally realised the incredible gap between you and humans? That's why you're so irate, right? Forcing yourself upon us. Even though you have no right to even be here on this Earth, with no one-"

Once more Celty tightened the noose. [I've told you before. _Shinra _accepts me. That's all I need.]

"As _unsettlingly heart-warming _this is, I didn't come here to discuss your twisted romance." Izaya cut in, giving a fake laugh.

Shinra gave him a sharp look, placing a hand on Celty's shoulder.

Reluctantly, the shadows disappeared.

"So…" Shinra began, "What brings you two here? At the same time?"

Shingen stepped forward. "I came because I heard my son was finally released from that wretched hospital, to see if I could put some sense back into that head of yours." He turned to Celty. "It seems it won't be possible."

"Those necrophilia tendencies came up in middle school." Izaya cut in, giving a shrugged. "I was forever blessed with every single disturbing detail of that. What a wonderful year that was."

Celty tensed at his remark.

"I was more concerned over a certain individual my son spent his time with as a child."

"It's not my fault the guy lacked friends."

Shinra rubbed his forehead, sighing in distress. "Would you please not make fun of my social life in front of me? Especially you, Izaya. You aren't the best socialite yourself. More like an anti-social informant with a God-complex."

_ It amazes me how light the atmosphere actually is between these three…_

"Yeah, yeah." Izaya replied, waving his hands dismissively. "Blame it on me. It's always the smart one's fault." He narrowed his eyes, his smirk darkening.

"What is it?" Shinra asked.

_ I don't like this…_

Izaya glanced over at Celty, then at Shinra, tilting his head slightly. "Who exactly paid your medical bill?" he asked. "You don't know, right?"

_ What's that have to do with anything?_

Celty crossed her arms suspiciously, listening to the conversation more and more intently.

"I don't, Izaya. But I know I can automatically rule out my best friend."

A cynical look sparked in Izaya's eyes, as he raised an eyebrow, letting his smile drop. "After how rudely you treated me when I was hospitalised on my birthday? I think not," he replied. "Besides, let's face it. It'd take a miracle for someone like you to actually have a decent circle of-"

Celty whipped out her shadows once more, pushing against Izaya's back; specifically the scar. [Don't insult so lightly. Especially in front of me.] She warned.

If it hurt, Izaya didn't show it, he only kept silent until Celty retracted the shadows, and cleared his throat as he continued. "Is that so? I'll remember that the next time your dear lover is in the hospital because you yourself were unable to save him. I'm honestly the last person you need to worry about, courier," he stated confidently.

"Don't provoke her, Izaya." Shinra advised, sighing. "The last thing I wanna do is a last minute treatment because your scar is opened and there's blood all over my floor."

"So cruel~!" Izaya mocked. "To be honest I don't need to owe you anything, though, so we'll be sure to play nice from here on."

[What were you saying about the person who paid Shinra's bill?] After asking, Celty looked over to Shingen. The masked man had been considerably quiet. He had his arms crossed, his expression hidden as always.

"It was a man by the name of Alexander Truman. He's from the North American company Nebula."

"Ah! That gentleman. He transferred here a few days ago. He also has a fairly talented son," Shingen started. "Yes, yes. He's cold, that Mister Truman. However his wife is much worse. Nothing like my dear Emilia1."

_I don't get this... _Celty tilted her 'head', tapping her foot.

Izaya nodded as Shingen continued. He turned over to Celty. "By the way… did anything significant happen yesterday night?

[Like what?]

_ Don't tell me…_

The informant chuckled, shaking his head. "No, no. Never mind."

_ Something doesn't feel right._

There was almost an ominous tone in Izaya' reply. Alarms rang in Celty's mind as she tried to make sense of it.

She was already aware of the possibility that Izaya had her head. The thought of that made her feel like a trapped rat. There was something stopping her from confronting Izaya about it directly.

"I want to point out that Izaya and I came here on separate terms," Shingen stated suddenly. "So I've no ill will towards you right now. Nor do I understand the nonsense that he's spewing." He sighed. "Just… don't go past your limits. There are some parks that children should stay out of for their own well-being."

[I'll keep that in mind.]

Izaya gave a short scoff. "I see where this is going. I don't very well appreciate being insulted straight to my face by someone who can't show his own face." He shrugged, a bitter smile curving. "Anyways. I also don't feel like sticking around for Celty's-"

"I won't have you insulting Celty." Shinra snapped.

"Oh?"

_ Forget that light atmosphere, it's pretty dark right now._

"Well! Seems I'll be leaving. Hey Celty, watch out."

[Why's that?]

"We're all about to be in the middle of a war."

He left the room with those eerie words still hanging in the air.

"That young man never ceases to amaze me." Shingen sighed, shaking his head.

Celty felt a chill crawl up her spine.

_A war?_

"Celty?" Shinra rested his good arm on Celty's shoulder, looking at her with concern. "Don't let what Izaya says psyche you out. He's always said stuff like that," he assured. "Actually, I have a feeling even he's not being spared from this 'war' he's talking about. Something tells me that power is getting so imbalanced even he can't do anything about it. I wonder-"

[I don't care.]

"Celty?"

"About Mister Truman, Celty," Shingen began.

[Do me a favour?] Celty typed. [Later, okay? I'm not in the mood right now.]

_11:30_

A smile made its way onto Shinra's face. "Celty, something's wrong. Tell me what it is. It's what I'm here for."

The Dullahan shifted uneasily, looking away from Shinra.

_It's just a coincidence._

She made a gesture, disagreeing with herself.

"Did what Izaya say _really _disturb you this much?" Shinra asked. "Celty… what's wrong?"

Celty typed slowly in her PDA. [It's not that, but…] she hesitated. [It's just that… when the police were chasing after me.] She shuddered at the thought/ [I couldn't help but think that I was on some sort of… battlefield or something. A war zone. A while after.. I felt… _whole_.]

Shinra tilted his head. "Whole?" He raised an eyebrow. "You mean… you felt connected to your head, right?" he said it simply, as if anticipating this conversation.

Celty gestured a nod. [Yeah. It wasn't like the other times, though.]

"Celty. _Other _times?"

_ I never told him…_

[The point is that my head is more resilient than usual. And… I think I know why.]

Celty braced herself to explain, taking in a breath. [Your so-called 'friend' just may have my head.]

A heavy silence filled the room. Shinra gave no response, staring solemnly at Celty's response, as if regretting something.

[I know it sounds like I'm jumping to conclusions, but it's]

Shinra sighed. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

[Look at who has my head! He has the power of whether or not I die right now Do you know how that feels? I'm not human like the rest of you! I'm just another pawn!] Celty snapped, trembling violently. [It disgusts and terrifies me at the same time! I'm being used and have no option other than to comply. All it would take is a few seconds and I'd die. Shinra. I'm _disposable_.]

Shinra shook his head, holding Celty's hand with a smile on his face. "There's no way you're disposable, Celty. You're one of a kind." He paused. "This… isn't really about Izaya having your head, is it?"

_ That's… that's right. I've been so used to the thought that I don't care anymore, really._

[Being able to kill me… I wouldn't even notice if it did happen.]

_Then again, there's really no real place for me here. I felt alive - natural - during that confrontation with Kinnosuke. Why was that? What sane person feels like that? A war zone? Where did that even come from at the time?_

[Shinra?]

"Yes?"

[I'm going out for a bit.]

"Okay. Take your time, alright?"

Celty put on her yellow helmet, giving a nod.

Shinra sighed. "My arm is a mess… I can't really hug you properly, so…." His smile widened. "Just be careful, Celty."

1 Emilia Kishitani: Shingen's American wife, who shares his 'medical fascination'. She knows perfect Japanese, but translates it roughly to feel close to her American roots. Shinra's step-mother, and the two get along well. Emilia usually pays Celty to let her examine Celty.


	25. Chapter 24:Время Ключ

Chapter 24: Время Ключ1

_11:55, location unknown_

"This is most inconvenient." Vorona gave a cold gaze to her partner, Slon. She had her arms crossed, shaking her head in disapproval.

The burly man nodded, "I know." He replied apologetically. "But this is a time of well-deserved rest!"

"I've too much rest."

"Plus," Slon went on, ignoring Vorona's remarks. "Our target has a lot of security, mind you. This includes a martial artist, a former gang leader, a demon wielder, and the newly reformed Dragon Zombie." His Japanese far surpassed Vorona's, but it was overlooked by reckless abandon and constant informality.

"Inconsistent knowledge." Vorona stated simply. "The worm has been caught."

"Yet the bird starves. I know. Putting it in less poetic terms, timing is important. For all we know the bird caught a flimsy little thing."

This was an old lesson back in Vorona's training days that Simon and Dennis had taught her. "The early bird catches the worm." The woman was asked what the outcome would be.

_"If the worm is small, it doesn't matter if the bird catches it or not. If the bird is starved, it will die."_

Chances and exceptions, the world could bury all those little things away with their clichéd laws and sayings, yet it goes all the same.

_ "The late bird catches the mouse."_

With better timing come better results.

This all tied down to the matter that Vorona was being impatient. She had no idea why Slon was speaking of white goats2, if he could have just told her instead of forcing the woman to connect the dots. However, Vorona was bright.

"Without a cat mice feel free3," she stated.

Slon sighed, "Vorona, dear, I have no idea why you insist to argue with the proverbs we both grew up with as a child," he commented calmly. "If our prey decides to play some, let em'. Think of it as their dying wish."

"Fine."

"You know, right? How much like Drakon - your father, you are?"

Vorona nodded solemnly. _Whether I like it or not, I am walking the same path as he. _She sighed, keeping silent, and struggling to keep her stoic, self-aware appearance.

Garden scissors, knives, and even a pistol. Vorona was naturally destructive, and she welcomed the fact with open arms. She loved - _savoured _- destruction.

Simon Brezhnev and Dennis, the present sushi chefs of Russia Sushi, had taught her all she knew after they left the Soviet Union during its collapse.

"So anyways, didn't Mr. Jinnai tell us to wait in the first place?" Slon asked, giving a light laugh.

"Dai…" Vorona breathed, although her expression remained the same.

"Then wait and we shall receive! We deserve a day off anyways." Slon clapped, "Besides, we've had our fair share of odd individuals."

"Bespectacled girl. Black Rider. Awakusu-Kai." Vorona coolly listed their former targets. They had failed them all.

Slon leaned back, smiling inquiringly at Vorona. "How do you plan on killing this Orihara? He's no ordinary target."

His partner nodded. "True. Or maybe you're overestimating him."

Slon smirked, raising an eyebrow. "What reason do I have for overestimating my target?"

Vorona saw his point, and started to drift off once more.

_So even Slon is taking this seriously… I can't help but think that aside from that borderline personality of Izaya's, there's nothing extraordinary about him. He is a smart one, true. However, even the one with the most smarts still dies._

"Vorona, you're being unsettlingly contemplative."

"It matters not to me. The hues of the city are painted diversely. "

"Vorona dear, your Japanese is atrocious." Slon scowled. "It has no fluidity to it whatsoever." He made a disapproving gesture, waving his finger in front of Vorona's face.

"Worry not. Target is of my interest."

Slon nodded, his slit eyes laughing for him. "But of course…"

At that moment, Vorona's phone began to buzz. She read over the message she had received, never changing her expression. She then shut it, glaring coldly at Slon once again. "We act during summer. A long interval."

"When exactly? Where?"

"August fourth. In Ikebukuro or Shinjuku, depending on circumstances."

"So in other words we're playing in the lion's den? Excellent."

1 Время Ключ; _Vremya Kluch (phonetic reading): _Translates roughly to "Time is key."

2 "…he speaks of goats" : A Russian proverb. Nowadays referred to as "Beating around the bush."

3 "Without a cat mice feel free.": A Russian proverb. Nowadays, it translates to: "While the cats are away, the mice shall play."


	26. Chapter 25:  His Prediction Holds Truth

Chapter 25: His Prediction Holds Truth

_Shohan-Shinjuku line_1_, 11:55_

"Okay, I'm seriously exhausted." Masaomi Kida slumped onto a bench, staring blankly at the ceiling as he fanned himself. "I think this is all the info we're getting today, Saki."

His girlfriend frowned, looking over a notepad. "But all of this info is… vague," she stated, raising an eyebrow. "Sure you're just not being lazy?

Masaomi shrugged, waving a hand in dismissal. "'All I need is general information.' That's what Izaya told us. As far as I'm concerned, we made the mother load of general information." He tapped his shoe on the ground, yawning.

Saki gave a stubborn stare at Masaomi, crossing her arms. "You're just being lazy to spite him, aren't you?"

Masaomi raised an eyebrow, returning the gaze. "Basically~" He smiled. _What else would it be for, really? _

Saki became silent, looking around her.

_Did I say something dumber than normal?_

"Um… Masaomi, let's go." She muttered.

Masaomi blinked, standing up and looking around.

His whole world stopped.

In Masaomi's current sight, it were as if someone were to paint an entire wasps' nest blue. Blue in every corner of the train station.

_ There's no way… Why are they even…?_

Slowly, he walked over to Saki's side, his eyes locked on to the mass of blue sweaters and hats. Majority of which had some sort of shark design on the hood.

Saki tugged at Masaomi's arm. "Let's go. I mean it," she stated.

_ We're near their old hangout, aren't we?_

"Masaomi."

They were everywhere. Blue Squares was infesting the area. One in particular stood out. He was standing on his own, speaking on a cell phone. He seemed young, a smile on his face.

In the back of Masaomi's mind, alarms were going off.

_ "Masaomi."_

The boy just stared on, narrowing his eyes absently.

"Masaomi!"

He blinked, gasping for a second. He stared over at Saki, who had a nervous expression on her face. It wasn't like her at all. Despite this, he couldn't help but stay in his current location.

"Saki, look. I don't think… leaving isn't the best idea right now."

"And why's that?" Saki asked. She glared at him, not amused in the slightest.

Masaomi bit his lower lip, "It's just a feeling."

He looked over to the boy, who in turn closed his cell phone, still smiling as he turned over to Masaomi and Saki. "And a good feeling indeed!" He called.

If he did not know any better, Masaomi would have mistook the voice for Izaya's. The only thing keeping him from that mistake was watching the boy dead in the eyes as he approached casually towards them.

He turned over to Saki, tilting his head. "Saki Mikajima, right? I believe this is the first time we've met." He said politely.

Saki kept silent, staring at the outstretched hand.

The boy retracted his hand with a nod, "I see." He looked over to Masaomi, raising his eyebrow. "You must be Masaomi Kida, thenm" he said cheerfully. "It's nice to meet you."

_ Who is this kid? Shouldn't he be in school or something?_

This stranger's smile widened. "Already knowing that leaving would be a bad idea. Your intuition is quite remarkable," he praised.

The comment unnaturally smooth, almost rehearsed.

"Right then…"

Masaomi spaced out, glaring at the kid suspiciously.

_ He's that kid from a few days ago. With Izaya's sisters…_

"The other day we saw each other, remember?" The boy explained. "I would have said hi then, but you were with Mikado-kun and Anri-san. Plus I was with some friends of my own."

_ He knows Mikado and Anri?_

"Say, speaking of which." The boy's smile was giving in to a malicious smirk. "Anri-san seemed to be _distressed _the last time I saw her."

_ Wait a second…_

It hit Masaomi.

"You're that brat that hurt Anri!" He snapped. "You tried to manipulate her and use her in your own damned plans, right? But she declined and you let your followers take care of things."

The boy had a blank expression. Throwing his hands up defensively, he shrugged. "Hey, I offered to be of some help. I gave no orders to Blue Squares to do anything to her. That was their doing."

"Control them better."

Saki bit her lower lip, taking a step back.

The boy kept his smile. "We're not really getting anywhere. You there… Saki?" He raised an eyebrow. "Surely the name _Izumi Ran _rings a few bells? Or at least some scars?"

Saki began tugging at Masaomi's arm, a stern look on her face. "I don't like this. Let's go," she demanded. "Now."

"Saki…"

"To be frank, he's the one who-"

"I know what he did," Masaomi interrupted. "I know full well what that jerk did to Saki, I don't need to be reminded."

The boy nodded. "Of course, I understand," he said calmly. "I'm sorry to say that whole incident was during my absence; however I do hold myself responsible for her - your current condition. As well as my elder brother's actions."

"So you-"

"Aoba Kuronuma. The leader of Blue Squares," he stated, giving Saki a slip of paper. "I understand that as a former Yellow Scarves leader, there's some bad blood between us. However, I think that could change." He smirked. "Besides, we have a similar problem. A common enemy."

Masaomi narrowed his eyes, keeping his hands in his pockets.

"Being used," Aoba replied simply. He sighed, shaking his head. "I'll get to the point. Izaya Orihara, you can't possibly like working for him." He laughed cynically. "Of course not. However, everyone needs someone to guide them in some direction. If the world was without its leaders, we'd be in anarchy. Complete chaos. However, in your leader, anarchy is already evident. Yet you need him to lead you away from that chaos, which he only drops you back into. It's a vicious cycle." He sighed dramatically. "Look what it's done to you. The girl here is brainwashed, and you're still fighting against a past over which get."

Saki stepped forward, "Are you saying you're a better person?" she snapped. "We weren't forced into this. It was our choice."

"I never said I was any better. The similarities between me and him are painfully obvious." Aoba gave a bitter smile. "However, unlike him, I have some humanity in me. I actually fear being alone, losing those close to me. I don't need to use ancient philosophies, myths, and creative logic to rationalise my actions. In a way he's rather pathetic." 

"You're a Pomeranian." Masaomi stated.

"Pardon?"

"There's nothing to you. I'm not impressed. If someone's leading me, they might as well be the one pulling the strings and winning the battles." Masaomi said blankly, as the solid truth. "I don't like working for him, but there's no way I'm screwing up our situation anymore. You obviously don't understand what would happen in the aftermath."

Aoba's smile dropped. "You're actually defending him?"

Masaomi laughed. "No," he replied. "I just don't feel like dying. I admit I was a bit shocked to hear what you were saying, but you're a joke. Blue Squares isn't my problem anymore. There's no reason for me and Saki to be wasting time with you guys."

Aoba nodded solemnly. "I see. Saki, I suppose I'll have to trust you in keeping that info," he said, his smile returning slowly. "I'll be on my way, nice meeting you, Masaomi."

He walked past the blonde, laughing slightly as he did, until he soon merged with the rest of Blue Squares.

Saki glared at Aoba as he left, pulling her cell phone out. "I'm calling Izaya. He should-"

"Don't."

"But-"

Masaomi craned his head behind him blankly, keeping somewhat of a poker face. "Those members are still everywhere. It's suicide to say anything about Izaya right now. Don't waste your breath.

Saki nodded, scowling slightly as she looked around.

_ So problems start to build up again, huh? If I ever have to do a speech like that again I will gag._

"Are you alright, Masaomi?

Masaomi blinked, rubbing the back of his neck, and a nostalgic feeling overcame him. This was the same neck around which a yellow scarf was once wrapped, a yellow noose. That noose had almost been the end of him.

His expression only darkened. _ Izumi Ran? I don't like hearing that name more than I have to. Just what does his brother Aoba want?_

_"_Masaomi_?"_

_ Screw it. Asking Izaya wouldn't help at all._

"Masaomi!"

A harsh nudge in the arm brought the boy back to his senses. He looked at Saki, who had an annoyed expression on her face. Soon, however, the girl reverted to her cheerful self.

She laughed, shaking her head. "Masaomi that was really cool," she commented. "You really showed that Aoba. I don't think I've ever heard you say something that good about Izaya." She sighed. "I'm getting ahead of myself, though. Look, there's no way that's enough info."

_I was not defending him. _"Wha?"

Saki shrugged. "What's important is this. Not Blue Squares. So we should concentrate on research," she explained, her smile softening.

Masaomi's phone started to ring, but he simply followed Saki.

"Hey, Saki."

"Hmm?" Saki blinked, "You have that smile again…"

Giving a nod, the former gang leader patted her head. "You know me so well~," he commented. "When all this crap is settled, we are going to get some cotton candy, without a doubt!" He cheered loudly, giving a salute.

Saki laughed. "What's this have to do-?"

"Because it matters to me," Masaomi pointed out, swinging an arm around Saki's shoulder. "Know what else? Mikado and Anri are coming along. A double date~"

"I've never even met them."

"Vice versa! A double date and a meeting. I'm such a genius." He laughed, nodding in self-agreement.

Saki raised an eyebrow. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Better than ever, Saki."

1 Shohan-Shinjuku line: A train station near Shinjuku, a city known for having large rail stations.


End file.
